We're Off To See America!
by knk4891
Summary: The Chipmunks and Chipettes are going on a much-anticipated summer tour across the country. The now-teenaged Chipmunks are about to discover adventure, romance, heartache, friendship, and tons of fun during the summer they'll never forget!
1. Chapter 1: Let the Journey Begin!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the Chipmunk characters or any songs mentioned in this story.

**Author's Note:** First of all, thank you so much for deciding to read my story. It means a lot to me that people want to read something I worked so hard on. This is my first actual _story_, since last time I just wrote letters. The first chapter, in my opinon, is a little slow (they spend way to much time at the Seville's house... you'll see what I mean). But other chapters will pick up the pace, don't worry. The chipmunks are supposed to be 15 years old in this story. I struggled with what age I should put them at... I didn't want them too young because I plan on involving them in teenage situations, but I didn't want them too old because I wanted to maintain the chipmunks's innocence that they had in the TV show. By the way, this fan fiction is based on the cartoon versions of the chipmunks, not the CGI chipmunks from the 2000s. I have nothing against the new movies, but the cartoon is what I grew up with and those are the chipmunks I am most familar with. I hope you enjoy this story, and I'd really appreciate a review. Please feel free to make suggestions about what should come next. I have some ideas, but I'm really just writing as I go; I'm just sort of writing whatever comes to mind. So please, please review... I need some feedback. Your reviews are what keeps me wanting to write! Anyway, this note is getting way to long... so go ahead and read the story!

***

**Saturday,** **June 1 **

**9:53 am**

"ALVIN!!!"

Alvin Seville opened his second story bedroom window and yelled, "I'm coming!" to his brothers, who were standing outside in the driveway.

"Dave is going to be here with the tour bus any minute!" Simon shouted to his brother.

"I know!" Alvin yelled. "I'm just doing some last minute packing!" Alvin shut the window and stuffed some more clothes in his gym bag.

The Chipmunks, along with their good friends the Chipettes, were about to get their first summer tour started. They were supposed to perform that night in Los Angeles, which was about a four hour drive from where the kids lived. The boys and girls, who had just finished their freshman year of high school the day before, were very excited about seeing the country, meeting new people, and, most of all, performing songs. The tour was expected to be a huge hit and would hopefully propel the Chipmunks and Chipettes into stardom.

The Chipettes had already arrived at the Seville's house, all packed and ready to go. Not surprisingly, Brittany Miller had more luggage than her sisters, Theodore and Simon all put together.

"I wish Dave would hurry up and get here already," said Brittany, who was perched on top of one of her pink suitcases. "I can't wait to see the tour bus!"

"Me neither!" Theodore said enthusiastically. "I hope it comes with a big food supply!"

"Is Alvin still packing?" Jeanette asked.

Simon sighed heavily. "Of course he is. We've only known about this tour for six _months_ now."

"Now are you girls sure you don't want me to come along on your trip?" Ms. Miller, the girls' guardian, asked in her loud voice. "It's not too late for me to go pack up my things real quick…"

"No!" Brittany blurted.

Eleanor glared at Brittany, not believing how rude her sister could be. Well, actually, she could believe it. "What Brittany _means,_ Ms. Miller, is that we appreciate the offer, but we'll be okay."

"We'll miss you Ms. Miller," Jeanette said, giving the old woman a big hug.

Theodore hugged Ms. Miller too. "I'll miss your delicious cookies, Ms. M."

"Why thank you darlin'!" Ms. Miller said, returning the hug.

The normally quiet street that the Chipmunks lived on was suddenly interrupted by a loud engine. The kids and Ms Miller looked up the street to see an RV coming toward them. As it got closer, they saw Dave waving to them in the driver's seat.

"_That's_ the tour bus?" Brittany asked. "It's just some shitty RV!"

"Brittany!" Ms. Miller scolded. "Watch the language!"

Brittany rolled her eyes. She loved Ms. Miller, but she couldn't wait to be parent-free all summer. Sure, Dave would be keeping an eye on them, but she was pretty sure that Dave wouldn't be very strict with her.

The big vehicle pulled into the driveway. A few seconds later, Dave hopped out of the RV.

"Well, here it is, kids!" Dave said proudly. "This is what we'll be traveling in all summer!"

"I thought it was going to be a tour bus, Dave," Theodore said to his father, feeling slightly disappointed.

"This is the best we can do for now, son," Dave admitted. "We _are_ on a budget, you know."

The five chipmunks hopped on the RV to check it out. It wasn't super luxurious, but it was nice. There was a restaurant-style booth surrounding a table in the small kitchen. In the back of the RV were a bathroom, small TV, some shelves and trunks, and two large mattresses. Dave caught Brittany's horrified expression when she saw the beds.

"Don't worry Brittany," Dave said. "We'll be staying in hotels most nights. The beds are just to rest on when we're on the road."

Brittany sighed with relief. No way was she going to sleep in the back of a crowded RV every night.

After everyone checked out the RV, they went back outside. Dave noticed that his loudest son wasn't present. "Where is Alvin?" he asked as he checked his watch. "We need leave in the next few minutes if we want to get to our first concert on time."

"He's still packing," Simon said.

"What?" Dave frowned. "I told you boys to make sure you had everything packed last night!"

"Alvin was up watching monster movies instead," Theodore said, opening a bag of potato chips.

Dave sighed. "That boy is going to be late to his own wedding one day."

"Well I suppose I ought to be taking off," Ms. Miller said, a slight sadness in her voice. She gathered the three girls who she considered her daughters into a big group hug. "I'll miss you girls so much!"

"We'll miss you too, Ms. Miller!" the Chipettes cried in unison.

"Now, you're sure you don't want me to come along?" Ms. Miller asked for the thousandth time that morning.

"Ms. Miller," Dave said in a soothing voice, "the girls will be fine. I'm sure there won't be any problems."

"Okay, David." Ms. Miller wiped her eyes. "I trust you with the girls." The old woman's face brightened. "Maybe I'll catch a show sometime. Wouldn't that be fun, girls?"

The girls politely nodded.

"Okay everyone, time to hit the road!" Dave announced.

The girls exchanged one last farewell with Ms. Miller and climbed into the large vehicle. Simon and Theodore followed, and, following Dave's orders, ended up carrying a majority of Brittany's heavy bags. Dave nervously checked his watch. "Where is he?" Dave muttered.

"Wait! I'm coming! Wait for me!"

The five chipmunks on the RV looked out the large window to see Alvin running out the front door with two large gym bags in each arm. The red clad teenager hurried up the RV stairs and tossed his bags on a mattress. "_This_ is it?" Alvin asked with a frown. "_This_ is the _tour bus_?"

"It's an RV, actually," Theodore said, grabbing a handful of chips from his bag. "Dave says we're on a budget."

"How can we be on a budget?" Alvin wondered aloud. "We've been performing since we were little kids and we can't afford a nicer ride? What have we been spending all the money on?"

"A nice house, food, clothes, a car, books for school…" Simon listed.

"It was a rhetorical question, Simon," Alvin said, glaring at his taller brother.

"Well after this tour we'll have all the money we'll ever need," Brittany said confidently. She slipped on her baby-blue framed sunglasses. "We're about to become stars!"

"You mean _you're_ about to become stars," Alvin said, pointing to the Chipettes. "The Chipmunks already _are_ stars. We've already had a sold-out show!"

"That was because the tickets for that concert were on sale," Simon pointed out.

Alvin groaned and the Chipettes giggled. "Damn it, Simon!" he muttered. He hated when Simon called him out on his bluffs.

"Yeah, you guys are such _huge_ stars," Brittany said, her high voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Aw, don't fight you guys," Theodore said in his super-sweet voice. "Remember, we're on tour together. People like both the Chipmunks_ and_ the Chipettes."

"Theo's right." Eleanor grabbed her boyfriend's chubby hand (which felt a little oily thanks to all those potato chips, but she didn't mind) and smiled at him. "Let's try to get along on this tour. We're in this together!"

"I'll get along with Simon and Theodore," Brittany said. "But_ he's_ another story." She pointed her French-manicured index finger at Alvin.

Dave shut the RV door and buckled himself into the driver's seat. "Okay, kids, here we go!"

All six chipmunks cheered with excitement as Dave put the RV in reverse. They had seen the world on an exciting balloon adventure when they were in elementary school, but they had never seen all of America before. The chipmunks waved good-bye to Ms. Miller, who was standing in the driveway, waving and dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief. They all hoped that this would be the summer when their dreams would come true.

***

It took about five minutes for the teenaged chipmunks to finally settle down. They had done big shows before, but they had never gone on a summer-long tour. They all felt giddy with excitement.

Simon was as happy as everyone else, but he knew that it was time to get down to business.

"Guys," he said, sitting in the comfortable booth, "we need to sit down and figure out what songs we're going to perform for our concerts."

"What?" Dave exclaimed, overhearing. "You kids don't know what songs you're going to do yet? I already e-mailed the concert producers your usual list of songs!"

"Relax, Dave." Alvin slid into the booth next to Simon. "We'll just have to download some music for some songs. It's no big deal."

"But you haven't rehearsed!" Dave said, looking at his son in the rear-view mirror.

"Don't worry!" Alvin said, rolling his eyes. "Everything is under control."

As the others sat in the booth, Simon pulled out a notebook and pen out of his back pack. "So," he said to his brothers and the girls, "what ideas do you guys have?"

"We have to do some MJ songs!" Alvin shouted in Simon's ear, causing Simon to shoot him an annoyed glance.

Simon sighed. After all these years, Alvin was still obsessed with Michael Jackson music. "What songs do you have in mind?" Simon asked.

"How about 'Beat it?'" Eleanor suggested. "We've done that song a lot of times."

"Yeah," Alvin said, mocking Eleanor's girly, high pitched voice, "which is why we should do a different MJ song for a change."

"Oh! Let's do that 'Kiss' song!" Theodore said, biting a potato chip.

"Theodore," Simon said patiently, "that's not a Michael Jackson song. That's Prince."

"Oh."

"And we should do a rap song, too," Alvin said. He grabbed Simon's pen and scribbled _Lil Wayne _on the paper.

"Alvin," Simon said, "a majority of our audience is under the age of eighteen."

"So?" Alvin said.

"So we need to keep our songs appropriate for our audience," Simon replied as he crossed out what Alvin had written.

"You mean to tell me that people under eighteen don't listen to Lil Wayne?" Alvin challenged.

Simon frowned. "We're not covering any rap songs, Alvin."

"Let's do 'Boys and Girls of Rock n Roll'," Theodore said.

"I love that song!" the usually quiet Jeanette squealed.

"Yes." Simon nodded and wrote down Theodore's suggestion. "Good idea, Theodore."

"We haven't sung that song in years!" Alvin said. "Besides, don't you think that our fans would prefer something a little more mature?"

"Its fine, Alvin," Simon insisted. "We need to do an original song. We can't just do covers all the time."

"But it's too…"

"We're doing the freaking song, Alvin!" Brittany, who had been busy filing her nails, yelled.

"Why are _you_ so eager to do it?" Alvin asked.

Brittany lowered her sunglasses and looked Alvin in the eyes. "It's a fan favorite, stupid. I do it for the fans."

"And because she gets to dance opposite of Alvin," Eleanor whispered to Jeanette.

After about an hour, the Chipmunks and the Chipettes finally made a list that they were all satisfied with (except Alvin, who argued that most songs were too "kiddie"). They rehearsed a few songs and wrote down some cherography for the songs they had never performed before. No one said it, but they were all surprised about how well everyone was getting along so far, especially the fact that Alvin and Brittany weren't arguing… much. They still kept in mind that it was only the first few hours of their tour.

The RV pulled into a rest stop. The teens wondered why they were stopping to rest so early.

"Dave," Eleanor said, "we've only been on the road for an hour. We don't need to stop yet."

"Yes we do!" Brittany said, hurrying to the front door. She was already sick of the crowded space.

"We're meeting the band here," Dave said. "I want you to meet them."

"Band?" Alvin said. "We don't need a band. We _are_ the band! Since when do we have a band?"

"Why are you acting so surprised?" Simon asked his brother. "Dave has told us about this dozens of times." Alvin stared blankly at Simon. Simon sighed. "But of course you weren't listening, were you?"

"They'll only be on stage during some songs," Dave said. "Most times you'll be performing to pre-recorded music. We've been over this many times, Alvin."

"Whatever," Alvin said, adjusting his red cap. "Let's just get this over with."

***


	2. Chapter 2: The First Concert

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any of the Chipmunk characters or songs featured in this story

**Author's Note:** Hi everyone. Time for chapter 2! Now that I've been writing AATC fanfiction for almost a week now I've realized that it's very easy writing for the boys and Brittany, but it's a little harder to write for Jeanette and Eleanor. That's probably because, out of all six of the main chipmunks, they were probably featured the least in the cartoons. So if they seem a little more boring than the others, that's why. I have some storylines in store for them, so don't worry, they will get much more interesting later on. Oh, and this chapter went a little slower than I thought it would be. It's still too long... I need to speed up my stories. Please review this!! I want to know how you guys feel about the story and whether I should make some changes!

***

**Saturday June 2**

**11:06 am**

The Chipmunks and Chipettes made their way into the rest stop. Brittany and Alvin noticed they were parked next to what appeared to be a tour bus.

"Now _that's_ a tour bus!" Brittany said.

"No kidding," Alvin said, admiring the large bus.

"Come on you two!" Dave called to Alvin and Brittany, who had fallen behind. "The band members are in here."

"I've spent my whole life playing the guitar and Dave hires a band," Alvin complained as he and Brittany walked to catch up to the others. "It's just not fair! I'm… I mean, _we're_ the stars of the show! We don't need a stupid band!"

"Get over it Alvin," Brittany said briskly. "Dave said that they would only help out on a few songs."

Alvin rolled his eyes and said, "Well they'd better only help out on a few songs or I'm gonna…"

"Or you're going to _what_, Alvin?" Brittany interrupted. "Throw one of your little temper tantrums?"

"Ha!" Alvin and Brittany opened the doors to the building and walked inside. "You should be the _last _person lecturing me on temper tantrums."

"Just drop it Alvin," Brittany said. "You're so…" Brittany trailed off when she saw three teenage guys talking to Dave and the other chipmunks. The tallest boy with dark hair was the most handsome person she had ever seen in her life. It made her stop in her tracks.

Alvin was confused as to why Brittany didn't finish her insult. "Brittany?" He saw her staring ahead, a goofy expression on her face. "Hello? Earth to Brittany!" Alvin waved his hand in front of her face, but got no response. He followed her gaze. It landed on three guys talking to Dave. "Oh. Now I get it," Alvin said to himself. "Let's go, Brittany." He grabbed Brittany's hand and pulled her toward the group.

"And this is my son Alvin," Dave said to the boys when he spotted Alvin and Brittany. "And this is Brittany Miller. She sings lead for most of the Chipette songs." Brittany snapped out of her hypnosis and turned on the confidence. She flashed a dazzling smile toward the cutest boy with the dark hair. He grinned back.

"This is Milo, the drummer," Dave pointed to a skinny boy with shoulder length brown hair. Milo looked half asleep and like he hadn't bathed in days.

"Wassup?" Milo said lazily.

_Stoner_, Alvin thought.

"This is Doug, who plays bass, trumpet, and keyboard," Dave said, gesturing to a boy with spiky blond hair.

"But not at the same time," Doug said with a smile.

Alvin rolled his eyes.

"And this," Dave pointed to the tall, dark haired boy who Brittany appeared to be in love with, "is Justin, the guitarist."

"Nice to meet you guys," Justin said in a cool, smooth voice. He looked at Brittany and winked. Brittany giggled like a little school girl.

_Did he just wink at her? _Alvin wondered.

"I'll pick up some lunch while you all get acquainted," Dave said, walking toward the food court.

"So what_ are_ you guys anyway?" Milo asked. "Over-grown squirrels or something?"

"We're chipmunks," Alvin corrected. "You know, as in Alvin and the Chipmunks."

"Oh," Milo said. "Whatever." He coughed a few times.

"So how old are all of you?" Justin asked.

"We're fifteen," Theodore said. "We're going to be sophomores next year!"

"How exciting," Doug said, pretending like he cared. "So can I get you guys to sign an autograph for my little sister sometime? She loves you guys."

"Anything for a fan!" Theodore said with a smile.

"So how old are _you_?" Brittany asked Justin.

"Milo and Doug are seventeen," Justin said, smiling at Brittany. "I just turned eighteen."

"Oh," Brittany said. Her blue eyes sparkled. "So _you're_ an adult."

"Well, yeah," Justin said. "I guess I am." He and Brittany kept grinning at each other.

Alvin excused himself to go use the restrooms, eager to get away from the worst flirting he had ever seen.

"So," Simon said, "how did you end up playing in a band for us?"

"We auditioned," Justin said. "I didn't even know these guys until last week. We're from different parts of California. Well, except Doug. He's from Miami, but he was visiting his grandparents in California when the auditions took place."

"Well we'll be looking forward to performing with you," Eleanor said kindly.

"Whatever," Milo said, yawning.

Dave came back with two bags full of fast food. "Let's hit the road, kids." He turned to the band. "It was nice meeting you. We'll see you in L.A."

"It was nice meeting you guys too," Justin said. He looked at Brittany. "It was especially nice meeting _you_, Brittany."

"Likewise," Brittany said, fluttering her eye lashes. This made Jeanette and Eleanor exchange amused glances.

A few minutes later, the chipmunks piled into the RV. Dave groaned. "Where's Alvin?"

"I'm coming!" Alvin yelled from the parking lot. He hopped on the RV. "Sorry about that Dave. Nature was calling."

"Spare me the details," Dave said, buckling up. "Your food is in the kitchen."

***

2:26 pm

Los Angeles, CA

"We're here!" Dave announced as the RV pulled into a big parking lot.

"Finally!" Alvin and Brittany exclaimed at the same time. They hurried to the back of the RV to get their things.

"That seemed like the longest trip ever," Jeanette said. She had been playing cards with Simon and Eleanor for two hours.

"I'm afraid you're going to have to get used to it, Jeanette," Simon said. "We'll be spending a lot of time in here for the next three months."

After unloading things off the RV, Dave told the Chipmunks and Chipettes to go inside the coliseum and rehearse. After they received their microphones (which, in this case, were the kind that were on headsets so they could dance around) They found their way to the stage and were amazed by how large the room was. There were hundreds of empty seats facing them.

"We've never performed anywhere so big before!" Theodore said with wide eyes. "Look how high the ceilings are!"

The chipmunks observed the big stage for a few more moments until Simon said, "Okay we should probably start rehearsing. Does everyone have the performance schedule?"

"Yup," Eleanor said. "It looks like _Boys and Girls of Rock n Roll_ is first."

"Yay!" said Theodore. "We get to open the show together, Ellie!"

Eleanor smiled at her boyfriend.

"Why do we have to open the show with _this_ song?" Alvin asked.

"There's nothing wrong with the song," Simon said. "The audience will love it. Everyone loves the song."

"Everyone except Alvin," Theodore pointed out.

Simon shrugged. "Okay let's get in our places. It's been a while since we've performed this, so does everyone remember what they're doing?"

The girls nodded, Alvin scowled, and Theodore shrugged. "I don't know Simon," Theodore said timidly. He adjusted his microphone. "It's been a long time."

"Just do your best, Theodore," Simon said to his younger brother. He often wondered why Theodore still acted like an eight-year-old even though he was a teenager.

The kids got into their places. Simon signaled the workers in the sound booth to play the music. The music started and everyone was ready to go. Alvin suddenly forgot that he didn't want to perform the song. Instead he imagined that he was in the place where he and the Chipmunks first performed the song: Athens, Greece. His adrenaline increased as the music sped up. Then, right on cue, he sprang into action and jumped right in front of Brittany.

"_Sun goes down I'm just getting up. I'm heading for the city lights!"_

Alvin and Brittany faced each other and jumped up and down.

_"Radio blastin' all the way to the club!"_

Alvin and Brittany pumped their fists in the air.

_"Gonna rock this town tonight!"_

_"You're living in a man's world, they tell us," _the girls sang. Brittany yanked Alvin's cap over his face and ran off to join her sisters. Alvin always hated when she pulled on his hat during that part.

_"But we ain't gonna buy it. The things they're tryin' to sell us…"_

"AHHH! Whoa!" Jeanette lost her balance and fell right over Eleanor and Brittany, knocking them all to the ground.

Alvin burst into laughter as the instrumental music kept playing. Simon motioned to the sound booth the cut the song.

"Jeanette!" Brittany shouted as she slowly got off the floor. "You were supposed to turn left!"

"I know," Jeanette said. "It's just, well, this wooden floor is so slippery and I…"

Brittany sighed dramatically. "Whatever. Just don't do it during the concert."

"It's okay Jeanette," Eleanor said, putting her hand on Jeanette's bony shoulder. "The floors _are _pretty slick."

Jeanette gave her shortest sister an appreciative grin. "Thanks Ellie."

"Well I suppose we should start from the top," Simon said.

And that's what the teens did. The spent the next two hours rehearsing _Boys and Girls of Rock N Roll_, as well as other songs. Alvin, who scanned the whole schedule when the Chipettes were rehearsing a song, was glad to know that the band would be playing on only two numbers; _Crocodile Rock_ (Alvin would play the piano at the beginning, and then he would dance and sing with Brittany the rest of the song while Doug took over the piano) and _It's My Party _with the Chipettes. What was the point of this band anyway?

When it came time to rehearse _Crocodile Rock_, the band was nowhere to be seen.

"It looks like we'll just have to do it without them," Alvin said, sitting at piano.

"No," Brittany said, putting her hands on her hips. "They'll be here. They're probably just having trouble carrying all those instruments. Justin is responsible; he'll make sure they're here."

"How do you know that?" Alvin asked. "You've only spent five minutes with the guy!"

Brittany shrugged. "Sometimes that's all it takes."

"Hey!" said a voice at the side of the stage. Everyone turned to see Justin, Doug, and Milo carrying their instrument onstage. "Sorry we're late," Justin said. "These instruments are really heavy."

"It's okay!" Brittany said. Then she looked at Alvin as if to say, "Told you so."

They rehearsed the song, but Alvin wasn't happy with Brittany's performance. She kept looking at Justin the whole time when she was supposed to be focusing on Alvin. She even winked at Justin.

After the song ended, Alvin stomped off stage.

"Are you okay, Alvin?" Theodore asked.

"I don't see why we need a guitarist for this song anyway," Alvin said. Justin didn't even hear Alvin. He was too busy chatting with Brittany. "Since when has there been a guitar in _Crocodile Rock?_"

"Since forever," Simon said.

Finally rehearsals ended and the Chipmunks and Chipettes went to their dressing rooms to prepare for the eight o'clock concert.

Brittany hummed _Crocodile Rock_ as she and her sisters waited for the make-up artists and hair-stylists to arrive.

"So Brittany," Eleanor said, undoing her pigtails, "you and Justin seem to get along well."

Brittany kept humming as if she didn't hear her sister.

"Brittany?" Eleanor tapped her older sister on the shoulder. "Brittany!"

Brittany shook her head and said, "What?"

Eleanor laughed. "You really like Justin, don't you?"

"Well, yeah," Brittany admitted. "I mean, I guess so. I haven't known him very long, but he seems really… special. He's so good at playing the guitar. And he's _so_ cute! Plus he's eighteen. How cool is that?"

"What about Alvin?" Jeanette asked.

Brittany caught her reflection in the mirror and admired herself. "What _about _Alvin?" she asked.

Jeanette shrugged. "Well, I don't know, I guess I just figured that you and Alvin… well, never mind."

Brittany faced her sister. "Look, Jeanette, I got over my little Alvin crush years ago. Now I'm a lot more mature and realize that Alvin is just an asshole. I spent so much time in elementary school wanting him to like me back, but he never did. I could have had any boy I wanted and I wasted all my time dreaming about that jerk. So, no, I don't give a rat's ass about Alvin."

"Oh." Jeanette said, taken aback by Brittany's response.

"Oh come on Brittany," Eleanor said. "You mean to tell us that you don't have _any_ feelings for Alvin anymore? You don't even like him a little?"

Brittany folded her arms across her chest. "Yes, that's exactly what I'm telling you. Alvin was just a silly crush I had when I was a kid. And that's all. I moved on from him years ago."

"Whatever you say Britt," Eleanor said, trying to resist rolling her eyes.

***

**7:56 pm**

Simon took a deep breath as he poked his head out from the velvet red curtain. He saw hundreds of screaming fans standing up from their seats. He observed that most fans were female, around ages ten to sixteen. But that was just the average. He saw all different kinds of people from different races, age groups, and genders. The Chipmunks had a fairly diverse fan base.

"You're on in five," a stage manager told the boys. The Chipmunks were on one side of the stage while the Chipettes were on the other. They were going to meet in the center of the stage for the first song.

"I wonder how the girls are doing," Simon wondered aloud. He hadn't seen them since rehearsals.

"I wonder if they're as nervous as I am," Theodore said.

"Relax Theodore!" Alvin said confidently. "We've performed in front of large crowds our whole lives!" Alvin sneaked another peek at the huge crowd. He was in a much better mood than he had been in after rehearsals.

"But there are so many people!" Theodore said."We've never sang in front of a crowd this big before."

"You'll be fine," Simon said. "We'll all be fine."

"Just look at all the people!" Alvin said excitedly. "And they're all here to see me!" He looked at Simon, who frowned. "I mean, they're here to see _us_."

On the other side of the stage, the Chipettes were much more calm… well, except for Jeanette.

"But what if I trip again?" Jeanette said. "I'd feel terrible! I don't want to ruin the whole show."

Eleanor hugged Jeanette. "You'll do wonderful," she said.

Justin, wearing nice-fitting jeans and a white t-shirt came up behind the girls.

"Good luck, ladies," he said. He smiled, showing off his straight, white teeth. He looked Brittany up and down, causing her to blush. "You look amazing, Britt."

"You don't look so bad yourself," Brittany said, trying to hide her bashfulness.

"Two minutes!" a stage director yelled.

It was so loud in the building that Jeanette could hardly hear herself think. She peeked around the curtain and a big purple sign an audience member was holding caught her eye. Her heart fluttered when she read it: I LOVE YOU, JEANETTE! Jeanette smiled, and suddenly forgot that she was such a klutz. She just wanted to get out there and dance for the crowd.

"Justin," a woman came up to him. "They need you in make-up right away."

"Looks like I'd better go," Justin said. He leaned down to Brittany and whispered, "You'll be great out there."

Brittany felt dizzy with lust. His breath smelled minty and was hot against her ear. Goosebumps appeared on her skin. Brittany watched Justin hurry off backstage.

_I am going to do great, _she thought, _for him._

"AND WE'RE ON IN FIVE… FOUR… THREE… TWO…"

The curtain raised and the music burst out of the huge speakers. Jeanette jumped. She didn't expect the music to be so incredibly loud. The audience cheered louder than before.

The music sped up to its climax. Brittany turned to her sisters. "Ready girls?" she shouted, knowing that her mic wasn't going to be turned on until the second they were supposed to sing.

"Let's do it!" Eleanor and Jeanette said.

Right on time, the Chipettes ran out into the middle of the stage. The Chipmunks were running toward them. Then they all hopped onto the podium that was set up on center stage.

_"Sun goes down I'm just getting up. I'm headed for the city lights!"_

The crowd grew even louder. Alvin, Simon, Theodore, Brittany, Jeanette, and Eleanor all realized at that very moment that this was it: they had arrived.

***

**10:49 pm**

"That was AMAZING!" Brittany squealed, joining the group hug. The Chipmunks and Chipettes had just taken their final bow and were now backstage. They were hugging and congratulating each other. Everyone was on an emotional high.

"Wonderful job, kids!" Dave said, joining the hug. "You were all fantastic!"

"Did you see the audience go wild when I hit that high note?" Alvin asked no one in particular.

"What about when I landed in the splits during the third act?" Brittany said. "Everyone loved it!"

After an hour, everyone got on the RV and prepared to be taken to their hotel. The teenagers were still giddy with excitement, constantly talking about the show. They sat on the mattresses in the back of the bus, recalling the memorable moments of the concert.

"Did you see when Jeanette almost slipped during _Let's Get it Started_ and Simon caught her just in time?" Brittany asked. "That made me so nervous!"

"Yeah," Jeanette laughed and faced Simon. "Thanks for that Simon. You really saved me out there."

"You're welcome Jeanette," Simon said, smiling. Even Simon, who was normally exhausted and unemotional after performing concerts, was excited and pleased about what his brothers and the Chipettes had done. Everything went smoothly and the big, noisy crowd was so exciting. It was by far the most fun he had ever had on stage.

"And Eleanor was so cute during _It's My Party_," Theodore said shyly. "You're dress was awfully pretty."

Eleanor giggled and gave Theodore a quick peck on the cheek. "Aw, thanks Theodore."

Soon they arrived at the hotel. It was a somewhat cheap-looking hotel, but no one cared. Everyone's thoughts were still on the concert.

The Chipmunks and Chipettes were very tired from their big night and wasted no time getting in their beds. They all replayed the night's events in their heads as they drifted off to sleep.

***

**Well, that's the end of Chapter 2. I liked how the chipmunks was so happy at the end... I thought it was kind of cute. I also threw in _Girls and Boys of Rock N Roll_ for you _Chipmunk Adventure_ fans. The cheorography was supposed to be based on what dance moves they did during the film, so try to picture that when they rehearsed it (I didn't describe their dance moves very well). _Crocodile Rock_ was also inspired by the Chipmunk's music video (look it up on youtube) even though the Chipette dancing with Alvin in the video isn't Brittany (her name is Charlene). Oh, and usually I don't like OCs very much, but I thought they were kind of needed for this story, to make things interesting. I have some other OCs in mind, but don't worry, they will be kept as "background characters" for the most part... well, Justin will get featured a little more because he's Brittany's love interest. What's gonna go on with those two anyway? You'll just have to find out in Chapter 3, which I will try to write sometime this week. Ah, I'm rambling again! Thanks so much for reading, and PLEASE review!**


	3. Chapter 3: Smarties in the Spotlight

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any characters or songs used in this fan fiction

**Author's Note: **Hi everyone! I'm so sorry it took me so long to post this. Second semester just started at school, so I've been a little busy. Plus I've been going through writer's block... I wrote nearly half of this chapter, but ended up not liking it, so I started over. But it's finally here! Yay! There's quite a bit of SimonxJeanette in this chapter. There wasn't supposed to be, but that's just how it ended up. So if you like Simon and Jeanette, this chapter is for you! Please review. Enjoy!

***

**Wednesday, June 5**

**10:04 pm**

"Got any eight's?"

"Go fish."

Simon sighed as he drew another card from the pile. The last few days he and the others had played every card game they could think of. They were now playing Go Fish, arguably the most boring game ever created.

"Eleanor," Jeanette said, "do you have any four's?"

"Go…"

"I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!" Alvin threw his cards in the air and stomped over to Dave, who was driving the RV.

Dave frowned at his son's dramatic behavior. "Alvin, was that really necessary?"

"I'm dying of boredom!" Alvin whined. "Please tell me that we'll be in Portland soon!"

"We'll be there in about ten minutes," Dave said.

Alvin let out his infamous dramatic cry and went to the back of the RV. He went into the small room where the beds were and closed the door.

"What a baby," Brittany observed, not looking up from her _Seventeen_ magazine.

"Alvin gets cranky when he doesn't get enough fresh air," Theodore said, flipping through his pile of cards. "It's your turn to go fish Eleanor!"

Eleanor grinned. "Actually Theodore, I think we ought to put the cards away. Dave said that we're going to get to the hotel soon."

Ten minutes later, Alvin emerged from the room. "I thought you said we'd be there by now," he said to Dave.

"Calm down, Alvin," Dave said. It was obvious that he was getting annoyed with his son's behavior. "The hotel is on this road."

"I'm gonna die!" Alvin cried.

The others rolled their eyes and shook their heads, but the truth was that they were getting a bit impatient as well. After performing in L.A., the gang had a show in Sacramento a few days after. They had left Sacramento earlier that morning and had been on the RV all day, headed for Portland, Oregon. Everyone was eager to get to the hotel.

Eventually, the chipmunks did get to their destination, and Alvin was still alive and well.

The chipmunks gathered their things and started to get off the RV.

"You kids wait for me in the lobby," Dave called to chipmunks as they left. He noticed that Simon was the last one to leave, so he quickly said, "Simon, do you think I could talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure Dave," Simon said as Dave shut the door. Simon wondered why Dave didn't decide to talk with him earlier. After all, they had been in a vehicle together for nine hours.

"Simon," Dave said with a wide smile, "how would you feel about doing a solo for our next show?"

"A solo?" Simon raised his eyebrows. "Me?"

"Yes, you," Dave said kindly. "So what do you say?"

Simon looked closely at Dave. "Does Alvin know about this?"

"Well, no," Dave said a little nervously. "That's why I wanted to ask you about it in private. I don't want Alvin giving you a hard time about this. You know how he gets when he isn't the one in the spotlight." Dave gave Simon a hopeful look. "So are you interested? I've been getting so many e-mails and letters from fans saying that they want to see more of you onstage. You're a fan-favorite, Simon."

"I'm honored, Dave," Simon said. "But I'm not so sure I would be comfortable with it. I'd feel strange singing all by myself."

"Well," Dave said, "what if we had you singing _to_ someone? That way, someone could be onstage with you."

Simon nodded slowly. "Okay," he said. "I suppose I could deal with that. Who would I be singing to?"

"How about Jeanette?" Dave suggested.

Simon shrugged. He liked Jeanette, but he thought it might be awkward being onstage with just her. But when he saw Dave's desperate look, he didn't have the heart to tell Dave no. Simon figured that Dave had been put under a lot of pressure to have Simon sing alone. Plus he sort of just wanted the discussion to end so he could get into the hotel.

"I'll do it," Simon confirmed.

"Great!" Dave said. "You go ahead and join the others. I'll tell Jeanette."

Dave walked off the RV. Simon sighed heavily. He hoped that Alvin would take the news well.

***

**10:37 pm**

"What do you_ mean_ you get your own solo?!"

"It was Dave's idea," Simon told Alvin. "I have a feeling that the fans and producers pressured him to give me my own song."

Alvin, Simon, and Theodore were in their hotel room. Simon figured that he might as well get it over with and break the news to Alvin about his solo. Alvin, as expected, was visibly upset that a chipmunk other than him was getting the spotlight.

"Well why doesn't anyone want _me_ to have a solo?" Alvin snapped. He was pacing around the room wearing a scowl upon his face. "It's _Alvin_ and the Chipmunks! Why can't _Alvin _sing anything by himself?"

"But Alvin," Theodore said in his sweet voice, "you get to sing _Crocodile Rock_ by yourself."

"Yeah but no one _requested_ it," Alvin pointed out.

"Look," Simon said, trying to calm his brother down, "It's not like I'll be onstage by myself. I'm singing to Jeanette, just like you sing to Brittany during _Crocodile Rock_."

Alvin stopped pacing. "Well, I guess that's a _little_ better," he said.

"Are you going to dance, too?" Theodore asked.

"I have no idea," Simon replied. He took off his glasses and gently set them on the nightstand. "I don't even know what song I'm singing. Dave and I haven't discussed the details yet."

Alvin suddenly remembered something. "How does _Jeanette_ feel about this, Simon?" he asked. It was no secret that Jeanette was uncomfortable when a lot of attention was directed toward her. Alvin doubted that she would want to perform when there was only one other chipmunk onstage.

"I don't know, Alvin," Simon yawned. "She probably doesn't even know yet."

Theodore saw Simon yawning, which caused him to yawn as well. "I'm sleepy," he announced.

"So am I," Simon said. He laid down in a bed and pulled the blankets up to his chin. Theodore also got into bed.

"We spent all day laying down in an RV and you guys are _tired?_" Alvin asked, amazed. He was planning on walking around the hotel, just so he could get out of the small room.

"Sleep will do you good, Alvin," Theodore said, closing his eyes. "You have been kind of grouchy today."

"I'm not tired," Alvin insisted, sitting on his bed.

"You're probably more tired than you think, Alvin," Simon suggested as he adjusted his pillow.

"Yeah right," Alvin said, fighting back a yawn.

Approximately two minutes later, all three Seville boys were curled up in their beds, fast asleep.

***

**Thursday June 6**

**1:35 pm**

Simon and Jeanette stood alone on the quiet stage. They were getting ready to rehearse their routine for the concert later that evening.

"So what song are you singing?" Jeanette asked.

"_I Don't Want to Miss a Thing_," Simon said. "It was one of the producer's ideas."

Jeanette smiled. "I like that song," she said. "Do you know it well?"

"Yes," Simon told her. The year before, Alvin went through a huge Aerosmith phase and_ I Don't Want to Miss a Thing _was one of the many Aerosmith songs that Alvin played nonstop for a week.

Simon cued the sound booth to play the music. Simon was using a traditional hand-held microphone for the song since he obviously wasn't going to do much movement to the slow, romantic song.

The soft music played, and finally it was time for Simon to sing.

_"I could stay awake just to hear you breathing." _

"_Watch you smile while you are sleeping." _

"_While you're far away from dreaming."_

Simon focused on Jeanette when he sang because, well, he was supposed to. But as he sang, he felt himself really _looking_ at her, as opposed to simply just singing to her. He noticed how the dim lights made her brown hair shine. He found himself studying her small pink nose, the faint smile on her lips, and her blue-green eyes behind her glasses.

_"I could spend my life in this sweet surrender."_

Had Jeanette always been so pretty? He had been her friend/science partner for years. Simon wondered why he hadn't noticed her like this before.

_"Every moment spent with you…"_

Simon slowly stopped singing. He found himself just staring at Jeanette. He couldn't get over how pretty she was… it was as if she were, well, an _angel _or something. Simon didn't know how else to describe it.

"Simon?" Jeanette asked. She had no idea why Simon stopped singing.

Simon forced himself to look away from Jeanette. He signaled the sound booth to cut the music. He walked to the front of the stage and sat down, letting his legs dangle off the edge. Jeanette sat down beside him.

"Simon?" Jeanette seemed concerned. "Why did you stop singing?"

"I, um, forget the words," Simon said quickly.

"Are you okay?" Jeanette asked. Simon Seville forgetting lyrics? That was unusual.

"No," Simon replied. "I mean, yes. I mean… well, I was thinking… it's just kind of strange singing while you just stand there."

"Oh," Jeanette said quietly.

"It's nothing against you Jeanette," Simon said quickly. "I just think the performance would be better if you could perform with me. Maybe we could do a duet instead."

"I don't know, Simon," Jeanette said, blushing slightly.

"Why not?" Simon raised an eyebrow.

"Well," Jeanette said. "I don't mind just standing there when you sing. That way, there's less of a chance that I'm going to mess up."

Simon looked at Jeanette and asked, "Why do you think you'll mess up?"

Jeanette shrugged and gave Simon a sad smile. "I always mess up," she said softly.

"You don't _always_ mess up," Simon assured her. "Sometimes you slip or stumble a little, but usually you're the only one who notices."

Jeanette had a puzzled expression on her face. Simon sighed. "I can't believe I'm about to say this," he said, "but maybe you need to learn a thing or two from Alvin."

Jeanette's dark eyebrows shot up. Was Simon actually suggesting that she should do something like Alvin?

"As you know, Alvin is nowhere near perfect," Simon said. "But even though it's clear that he isn't good at everything, he goes into every situation _thinking_ that he will succeed." Simon paused. "Alvin has confidence, Jeanette. Actually, he has so much confidence that it's obnoxious. But no matter what he does, he holds his head high and believes that he can do it. That's what _you_ need to do, Jeanette."

Jeanette smiled. "You're right, Simon. It's just really hard for me to be confident. Brittany and Eleanor are so comfortable with themselves, but I… well, I'm just not."

"You have no reason to doubt yourself," Simon said, putting his arm around his friend. "You're intelligent, talented, kind, trustworthy…"

"But I'm such a klutz!" Jeanette interrupted. "How can I have confidence when I'm always falling down?"

"Well," Simon said carefully, "a lot of people find you're clumsiness charming."

"They do?" Jeanette asked with wide eyes.

"Of course," Simon said. "That's why you have so many fans. It's because people can relate to you. You're a very likable girl, Jeanette."

Jeanette smiled gratefully at Simon. "Thank you Simon. Those are some of the nicest things anyone has said to me in a very long time."

"That's too bad," Simon said quietly. "You deserve nice things said to you more often."

The two chipmunks grinned at each other for a few moments. Finally, feeling a little shy, Simon said, "Well I guess we should run our duet idea by Dave."

"Right," Jeanette said. She was suddenly feeling bashful as well. "We, um, have a lot of work to do."

The two hopped off the stage and went to find Dave. They walked in a comfortable silence, both of their minds trying to analyze their heart-to-heart they just shared.

***

**9:22 pm**

After they performed the fun 80's hit _Vacation_, the Chipettes were whisked off stage to start on hair and make-up for the next act. The Chipmunks were singing two songs in a row by themselves to give the stylists a little extra time.

Jeanette was following her sisters to their dressing room when a cold hand gripped her shoulder.

"Not so fast Jeanette," a woman's voice said. Jeanette looked up to see a cute, petite blond woman smiling at her. Jeanette remembered that her name was Suzie, and she was one of the make-up artists. "You're changing into your duet outfit."

Jeanette's heartbeat sped up. She had forgotten that her duet was her next song!

Jeanette was hurried into a separate dressing room from her sisters. "I don't believe you've seen your dress yet," the blond woman said. She pointed to the dress on a nearby rack. Jeanette gasped when she saw it.

"It's beautiful," Jeanette breathed. The dress, which was strapless and floor-length, was a very deep shade of blue, almost black. It was covered in sparkles, making the lovely garment shine. It reminded Jeanette of a clear night with stars twinkling in a midnight-blue sky.

"Well don't just stare at it!" Suzie laughed. "Try it on! You're on in ten minutes."

Jeanette was helped into the gown by a few people and then they practically carried her to the vanity chair. Jeanette watched in the mirror as a plump red-headed lady quickly pulled Jeanette's hair out of its messy bun. That was the last thing Jeanette could clearly see in the mirror; an unfamiliar hand yanked off her glasses. The next few minutes, half a dozen hands were on Jeanette's head, styling her hair, applying make-up, and placing jewelry on her.

Finally the hands were removed. "All done!" Suzie chirped.

Jeanette grabbed her glasses from the table and looked at her reflection. She hardly recognized herself at first. She looked a little closer and realized that she was just the same old Jeanette Miller, only more glamorous. Her make-up was flawless and her chestnut brown hair fell in soft waves down her back.

"Well aren't you just the prettiest thing!" Suzie gushed. She pointed to Jeanette's glasses. "Now are you sure you don't want to take those off?"

Jeanette backed away before Suzie could get to her spectacles. "I think I'll leave them on, thank you." Whenever someone removed Jeanette's glasses, Jeanette always ended up running into something (or someone) and ruining whatever event was taking place. She was determined not to mess anything up tonight.

She and Simon had rehearsed their song for hours that afternoon, since neither of them was very familiar with it. It was called _At the Beginning_, and it was from the soundtrack of the animated movie _Anastasia_. Jeanette thought the song was beautiful, but she didn't think that Simon liked it very much. He sang it very well though.

There was a loud tap at the door. Without waiting for a reply, a stage manager opened the door and frantically hollered, "Jeanette! You're on in less than two minutes!"

The mini-army of make-up artists and stylists took a moment to admire their work. They were very pleased on the quick, yet effective styling they had done on the young Chipette.

"Good luck, dear," Suzie said. "Knock 'em dead!"

Jeanette giggled. She quickly stepped into her high heels, (_Great,_ she thought. _Just what the clumsiest girl in America needs during her big duet: high heels!_) thanked the team of stylists, and hurried toward the side stage. She heard a big applause, meaning that the Chipmunks had probably just finished their song.

Brittany and Eleanor were already standing at the side stage. Eleanor was surprised at the huge amount of people in the crowd; every seat was filled. She didn't think a Thursday night would be that popular of a concert date, but there had to be well over twenty hundred people in the audience.

Jeanette appeared next to her sisters. "Where is Simon?" she asked nervously.

Brittany and Eleanor turned around to face their sister. They gasped when they saw Jeanette.

"Jeanette!" Eleanor admired. "You look gorgeous!"

"Thanks," Jeanette said. "Um, so, have you guys seen Simon? We're supposed to go onstage any minute now and he's…"

"Who picked out that beautiful dress?" Brittany wanted to know. "I need to tell them to design one of _my_ costumes!"

"I don't know," Jeanette said quickly. "But where is…"

"Jeanette?"

Jeanette turned around to see Simon looking at her. His jaw dropped when he saw her. She looked incredible.

"You look… _amazing_," Simon said with wide eyes.

Jeanette blushed. "Thank you Simon. You look nice too." And he did; Simon looked very sophisticated and handsome in his tuxedo.

"Simon! Jeanette!" the stage manager yelled. He gave the singers their microphones. "You're on! The music starts when you walk out!"

Simon looked at Jeanette. "Are you ready?"

Jeanette took a deep breath and nodded.

"Remember," Simon whispered, "be confident. This is your time to shine and you'll be great."

Jeanette smiled at Simon, who smiled back. Hand-in-hand, they made their way toward center stage.

Neither Simon nor Jeanette was prepared for the crowd reaction. The place exploded with cheers and applause the second to two chipmunks appeared onstage. The music had to be turned up a little louder just to be heard.

Jeanette's heart pounded. She was nervous, excited, and amazed at the same time. Before she knew it, it was time for her to sing her part and start the song:

"_We were strangers, starting out on a journey."_

Simon didn't think it was possible, but the crowd actually got _louder_ once Jeanette sang.

Jeanette continued to sing. Brittany and Eleanor exchanged amazed glances. Jeanette had always been more of a "background singer," and they had rarely heard her sing on her own. They never realized how angelic Jeanette's voice was.

Then it was Simon's turn to sing: _"No one told me I was going to find you. Unexpected what you did to my heart."_

Simon singing just increased the volume of the audience noise.

At that moment, Alvin and Theodore appeared next to Brittany and Eleanor.

"What's all the noise about?" Alvin asked. "Are they _still_ cheering for our last act?"

Brittany rolled her eyes. "As if. They're cheering for _them_." Brittany pointed onstage at Simon and…

"Whoa!" Alvin exclaimed. "Is that _Jeanette?_"

"Of course it's Jeanette!" Brittany said.

"She looks… wow," was all Alvin could say. He turned to Brittany. "Why doesn't your make-up ever look that good?"

"Alvin," Brittany said, still looking at her sister and Simon.

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

They audience grew much quieter as Simon and Jeanette's duet continued. It was as if the crowd was completely memorized by the performance.

"_Now I know my dream will live on,"_ they sang together.

"_I've been waiting so long."_

"_Nothing's gonna tear us apart!"_

Simon went on the sing the chorus when Jeanette sang a high note. The crowd, who had dramatically quieted down up to that point, went into a huge cheer.

The two kept singing their hearts out until finally the last few lines came.

"_In the end I want to be standing at the beginning…"_

Simon and Jeanette looked at each other and both smiled when they softly sang their last words: _"With you."_

As soon as the music began to fade out, every single audience member rose to their feet and cheered loudly. Jeanette felt so happy that she threw her arms around Simon and hugged him so hard that he nearly fell over.

"Si-mon! Si-mon! Si-mon!" the crowd chanted. Then they let out cheers of, "Jean-ette! Jean-ette! Jean-ette!"

"Good luck following _that_ up," Alvin said to Brittany, knowing that the Chipettes were up next to perform. Alvin wished that _he_ was the one getting the standing ovation, but he was actually very happy for his brother. Simon never got to do anything cool or fun; he just stayed in the dirty basement all day and mixed chemicals. Maybe being in the spotlight for a night would do him some good.

After almost a two minute standing ovation, the people working backstage were motioning Simon and Jeanette to get off stage.

Jeanette was greeting with hugs from her sisters. Eleanor was actually crying.

"That was so beautiful!" Eleanor cried.

Theodore hugged Simon. "You were great, Simon!"

"Thank you," Simon said. "I need to go get ready for our next song." Simon hurried to the dressing room. He was very pleased and excited about the duet, but he didn't want to rub it in to his brothers. He didn't like when Alvin bragged about getting extra attention, and he wasn't about to act like Alvin.

In less than five minutes, Jeanette was back in her regular clothes, her hair was pulled back again, and her glamorous make-up was removed and replaced with much more natural-looking colors. Jeanette smiled at her reflection. It looks like Cinderella turned back into a pumpkin, she thought. Nevertheless, Jeanette was very happy about the duet, and she didn't mind being "plain old Jeanette." _Perhaps Simon is right,_ she thought as she made her way onstage to join the other Chipettes. _Maybe there's nothing wrong with being Jeanette Miller._

***

**11:56 pm**

Theodore yawned as he climbed into bed. The concert had ended about an hour ago and he was anxious to get some sleep. It was way past his usual bedtime.

"Great show tonight, boys," Alvin said, putting his red cap on the nightstand.

"Thanks Alvin!" Theodore said with a grin.

Simon, who had just brushed his teeth, was climbing into his bed when there was a soft knock at the door.

"It's probably an adoring fan," Alvin said, walking up to the door.

Alvin opened the door to see a tall, slender chipette looking back at him.

"Hi Alvin," Jeanette said. "Could I please talk to Simon?"

"Yeah," Alvin said, disappointed that it wasn't a Chipmunk-crazy fan girl. He turned and said, "Simon! Jeanette wants to talk to you!"

"Jeanette?" Simon felt his heart beat a little quicker. What was _that _all about?

Simon got out of bed and walked to the door. He and Jeanette stepped into the quiet hallway and gently closed the door behind them.

"Hello," Simon said.

"Hi," Jeanette said with a shy grin. "I, um, just wanted to thank you."

"Thank me?" Simon was a bit confused. "For what?"

"For being so nice to me and helping me believe in myself," Jeanette said. "I really appreciate it. And also thank you for convincing Dave to let us do a duet together. I've never enjoyed being onstage so much before. This was probably the best night of my life. So… thank you."

Simon smiled. He had never seen Jeanette so happy. "You're very welcome Jeanette. It was an honor performing with you."

"Maybe we can do it again sometime," Jeanette said hopefully.

Simon laughed. "After that crowd reaction, I'm sure Dave will want us to do that song together every concert from now on."

Jeanette's smile never left her face. "I guess you're right. Well, good night Simon. Thanks again!"

"Good night, Jeanette," Simon said. He watched Jeanette enter her room across the hall. Before entering her room, she turned and gave Simon a shy little wave. Then she closed the door and she was gone.

Simon stood alone in the brightly lit hallway. He wondered why he felt so light-headed and why his face felt flushed.

_Hmm,_ he thought, it _must be some sort of odd reaction I'm having due to the bright lights._

Simon entered his hotel room trying to figure out why the lights made him feel that way. After all, it had to be the lights; what else could possibly make him feel that way?

***

**A/N: Well, there it is. I really struggled on what song Simon and Jeanette should sing, but after browsing through Chipmunk fan videos on youtube, I deciding I like _At the Beginning_. It's different, which is nice. If you haven't heard it, check it out :) Anyway, please review! I want to know what the readers think... what did you like, was there anything you didn't like, do you have suggestions, etc. I want to know!! Anyway, thanks for reading and have a terrific day.**


	4. Chapter 4: Looking for Fun

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything

**Author's Note:** Sorry for another late update... school, work, you know how it is. To be honest, I'm not too pleased with this chapter. And yes, I know I've said that about almost every chapter so far, but this one is just... I don't know. Not much goes on. It's more of a filler; I have a lot of good ideas for later chapters, but I wasn't ready to write them yet. Remeber my last A/N when I said that I wrote most of Chapter 3 but re-did everything? Well, most of Chapter 4 is actually that material. But I thought I wrote it fairly well, and I didn't have the heart to totally delete all of it; so here it is. But don't worry, next chapter will be much more exciting. I promise!

* * *

**Saturday June 8**

**12:41**

The Chipmunks and Chipettes were relaxing in a luxurious room backstage that was reserved for them. They were in Seattle, Washington, were they would be performing later that evening. Everyone was impressed by the comfortable velvet couches and chairs, the big flat-screen television set, latest video game system, and a seemingly endless supply of food in the refrigerator (Theodore especially liked that part).

"I'm so _bored!_" Brittany announced. She stood up from the royal blue lounge chair she was sitting in. "When we're not performing, we're just sitting around doing nothing." The chipette headed for the door. "I'm sick of it."

"Brittany!" Eleanor said, her brown eyes getting wide. "Where are you going? We have to rehearse soon."

Brittany rolled her eyes. "The show doesn't start in, like, seven hours. We have plenty of time to rehearse. Besides, we already know all of our songs by heart. I'm out of here." And with that, Brittany was out the door.

"Great," Simon said in his typical sarcastic voice. "How are we going to do a rehearsal without her?"

"Who needs her anyway?" Alvin said as he flopped into the soft couch.

"Where is she going anyway?" Theodore asked.

"To see Justin," Jeanette and Eleanor said at the same time.

"Huh?" Alvin sat up. For some reason, this sparked his interest.

"They've been texting each other all afternoon," Eleanor said. "Brittany is head over heels for the guy."

"_Why?_" Alvin asked, sounding disgusted.

Eleanor shrugged. "He's charming, good-looking, talented...."

"Hey!" Theodore exclaimed. "That kind of sounds like _you_, Alvin!"

Alvin narrowed his eyes at his little brother.

"What?" Theodore asked, noticing his brother's sour expression.

"I'm _way _cooler than that Justin guy," Alvin said. "Don't ever compare me with that wannabe."

"Maybe Brittany is right," Eleanor said. "Maybe we _should_ get out and find something fun to do."

"Where would we _go?_" Simon asked. "The only thing to do is walk around the building. Besides, we need to rehearse soon. Dave wanted us to wait in here while the crew set up the stage."

"We can rehearse later," Alvin said, hopping off the couch. "Let's get out of here."

Eleanor and Theodore followed Alvin. Jeanette hesitated, but she eventually got up too. Simon remained in his chair, his arms folding against his chest.

"Are you coming, Simon?" Eleanor asked.

"No!" Simon said. "Dave said…"

"Simon," Alvin said firmly, "you're fifteen years old. Why do you still do everything Dave tells you to do?"

"Because," Simon glared at his brother, "he's my father and I respect him."

"Fine," Alvin said with a dramatic sigh. "Just stay here and be bored." He and the others walked out of the room.

Simon stared at the door. Then he let out a sigh. He didn't want to disobey Dave, but if he didn't go with the gang, who knew what kind of trouble Alvin could get himself into.

Simon hurried to the door. "Wait up!" he called.

When Simon opened the door, Alvin and the others were standing there as if they were waiting for him. Alvin was leaning against the wall with a cocky grin on his face.

"You knew I was going to end up coming, didn't you?" Simon asked Alvin.

"You always do," Alvin said. "Now let's go!"

***

**12:50 pm**

**Parking lot **

Brittany was standing outside the band's tour bus. Justin had just text her, saying that he was inside waiting for her. She smiled as she knocked loudly on the door.

A few seconds later, Milo opened the door for her.

"Who are you?" he asked. He was wearing a black shirt was a skull on it, baggy jeans, and a dirty baseball cap that was off-center. He looked like he had just woken up from a nap.

"I'm Brittany," Brittany said impatiently. "I'm one of the Chipettes." Milo continued staring at her. "You know, the group that your band plays for." Brittany noticed that Milo's eyes were red. Was he… high?

To Brittany's relief, Justin showed up behind Milo. "Hi Britt," he said with a smile. "Come on in."

Brittany climbed the stairs. The bus was messy… the floors were littered with dirty clothes and empty potato chip bags and soda cans. The smell of sweat and garbage hit Brittany the moment she walked in, making her tiny pink nose wrinkle with disgust.

"Sorry," Justin said, sounding embarrassed. "It's pretty messy in here."

"It's okay," Brittany said quickly. She didn't want to offend him. "It's… cozy."

Justin laughed. "Let's talk outside."

Brittany nodded. The two went outside and walked to the back of the tour bus.

_Alone at last,_ Brittany thought.

"Hi Brittany!" called a familiar high pitched voice.

Brittany whipped her head around and saw the Chipmunks and her sisters walking toward her.

"Great," Brittany muttered.

"Hey it's okay," Justin told her. He took her hand into his and squeezed it. "I need to go rehearse anyway."

"Wait," Brittany whined as he started walking away. "Justin, don't go."

Justin smiled that heart-stopping smile and gently said, "Don't worry. We'll have all summer to hang out."

Justin waved the other chipmunks politely and left. Brittany put her hands on her hips and said, "Thanks a lot, you guys!"

"For what?" Theodore asked, thinking Brittany was actually thanking them for something.

"For interrupting me and Justin!" Brittany snapped.

"He could have stayed," Eleanor pointed out.

"No," Alvin said quickly. "You heard him, Eleanor. He has to rehearse with the other band losers."

Brittany stomped up to Alvin and pushed her face closer to his, something they had been doing since they we're kids. "What's your_ problem_, Alvin? What do you have against Justin?"

Simon, Theodore, Jeanette, and Eleanor looked at each other knowingly. It was obvious to them why Alvin hated Justin so much. They wondered how Brittany couldn't tell that Alvin was jealous of all the attention Justin had been getting from Brittany. They weren't so sure that Alvin _loved_ Brittany, but it was safe to say that he had _some_ feelings for her.

"I don't have anything against him," Alvin said, pushing his nose up to Brittany's. "He's just not good enough to be performing in our shows!"

"You're so immature!" Brittany shouted.

"You're so… bitchy!"

Brittany gasped. "_What_ did you call me?" She backed away from him.

"You heard me," Alvin said, knowing that he had won.

A look of hurt flashed across Brittany's face. Then the expression turned to anger. "I hate you, Alvin Seville. I seriously _hate _you." Then she stormed off.

"Brittany! Wait!" Eleanor and Jeanette ran off to catch up to Brittany.

"Someone is a little sensitive today," Alvin observed. He turned to his brothers, who were both frowning at him. "What?" He asked innocently.

"Don't you think that was a little _harsh_, Alvin?" Simon asked. He wasn't a huge Brittany fan, but Alvin had clearly crossed the line.

"She called me immature!" Alvin tried defending himself.

"What you said was mean, Alvin!" Theodore said.

Alvin sighed. "Okay, maybe it was a little uncalled for. But she'll get over it. Brittany always bounces back."

Alvin looked at Simon and Theodore, hoping that they would agree with him. But the disappointed looks on their faces remained. "Fine," Alvin surrendered. "I'll go apologize." He reluctantly walked off to find Brittany.

***

**1:04 pm**

Alvin found Brittany crying in the backstage room they had all been in earlier. He cautiously approached her. "Brittany?"

Brittany instantly recognized Alvin's voice. "Go away," she said without looking at him.

"Look," Alvin said, "I just wanted to say sorry for calling you… well, you know."

Brittany stopped crying, but didn't speak.

"And I'll try to stop saying mean things about Justin and the stupid… I mean, _talented_ band," Alvin said.

Brittany still didn't respond.

"So," Alvin said, thinking his apology was over. "I'll see you around."

Alvin turned around to leave, but stopped when Brittany said, "Wait, that's it?"

Alvin looked at Brittany. Her face was pink from crying and her light brown hair was messy. It was how she usually looked when she was upset.

"Well, what else am I supposed to say?" Alvin asked, getting a little impatient.

Brittany frowned. What else _was _he supposed to say? She knew that this apology was probably the best Alvin could do. But for some reason, she wanted more from him.

Oh well. Whatever. He said he was sorry. Maybe he meant it, maybe he didn't. She would still be upset no matter what. Maybe she should just let this one go.

"Never mind," Brittany said, wiping her eyes. "Thank you for apology."

A puzzled look appeared on Alvin's face. "No problem." He left the room feeling a little confused. Brittany seemed like she was going to yell at him, but she ended up just letting the whole thing go. Brittany never just let things go.

_Oh well_, Alvin thought, _the less drama, the better._

***

**10:23 pm**

"That was a great show!" Theodore said to his brothers as they walked out of their dressing room. "Everyone really likes your duet with Jeanette, Simon."

Alvin rolled his eyes. He was getting so sick of everyone gushing over how great Simon and Jeanette's stupid little song was. Why wasn't anyone giving_ him_ compliments? After all, he was the star of the show.

"Thanks Theodore," Simon said to his younger brother. "I'm glad people like it." Simon actually really enjoyed singing with Jeanette. And once again, Jeanette looked breath-taking in her dark blue dress.

The Chipmunks were planning on meeting the Chipettes and Dave in the hallway so that they could get on the RV and go to their hotel. The boys spotted Dave and the girls and walked over.

"Let's get out of here," Alvin said with a yawn. "That hotel is calling my name."

Simon noticed that Dave looked a little uncomfortable.

"Dave?" Simon asked. "Is everything okay?"

Dave smiled nervously. "Well, yes, everything is fine. It's just, well… I'm afraid we aren't checking into a hotel tonight."

"What?!" Alvin and Brittany cried out at the same time.

"Well," Dave said, "Our next show is Monday afternoon in Denver. We did schedule a few afternoon shows. Anyway, it will take us about twenty hours to drive there, and we don't have time to sleep at a hotel tonight. We need to hit the road." Dave paused and sighed. "Actually, I think the hotel trips will become more scarce as the trip goes on. It costs too much money and time…"

"You mean I have to sleep in the back of that crowded RV with five other chipmunks?" Brittany was outraged.

"Well, yes," Dave answered honestly.

Brittany stomped her foot. "I'm a star! I shouldn't have to deal with this!"

"Relax Brittany!" Eleanor snapped at her sister as if she were a strict parent. Then she turned her focus on Dave. "Are you sure you can handle driving all that way non-stop, Dave?"

"I'll manage," Dave said with a weak smile. "Don't worry, I'll try to get in as many rest stops as possible."

Dave and the teens loaded themselves on to the bus. Brittany kept muttering things such as, "I can't believe this," and "This is so lame!"

About an hour later, the Chipmunks and Chipettes were ready to go to sleep. The boys took one mattress while the girls took the other. Brittany found herself in smashed in between her sisters.

"No way!" Brittany objected. "I am _not _sleeping in the middle."

"I'll sleep in the middle," Jeanette volunteered. "I don't mind."

As Brittany and Jeanette switched places, Eleanor couldn't help but think that Alvin may have been right when he called Brittany "bitchy." She had been acting extra bossy and whiny that day.

"Brittany," Eleanor said softly to her sister. "Is everything okay?"

"No!" Brittany said with a frown. "I have to sleep on an uncomfortable bed that's too small to hold all three of us _and_ I'm stuck in the same room as_ him_." She pointed to Alvin. Alvin was too busy looking at his reflection in the window to notice Brittany's rant.

"Is that all?" Eleanor asked. "You just seem… angry."

Jeanette, who was between her sisters, shifted uncomfortably.

Brittany sighed. "I don't know, Ellie. Maybe I have been a little… well, mean. I think I'm just exhausted. I didn't expect this tour to be so demanding."

Eleanor reached over Jeanette and grabbed Brittany's hand. "Don't worry, Britt. We're in this together."

Brittany smiled and squeezed her sister's hand. "Thanks, Eleanor."

That was the last thing Brittany remembered; a few seconds later, she was in a deep sleep.

***

**Sunday June 9**

**4:55 pm**

"I'm. So. Bored."

"We know, Alvin," Simon said while reading one of his science magazine. "We heard you the last five hundred times you've said it."

Brittany felt herself nodding in agreement with Alvin. She usually didn't agree with Alvin on anything, but he had a point; this trip was as boring as boring could get. She looked around the RV; Simon was entranced with his dorky magazine, Dave was driving and talking to Miss Miller on his cell phone (he kept assuring her that the Chipettes were "doing just fine and there was absolutely nothing to worry about"), Jeanette was lounging on the couch listening to her iPod, Theodore and Eleanor were playing Hangman (lame), and Alvin was being pathetic, laying on the floor whining like a toddler about how bored he was. Yes, Brittany definetly needed to spice things up.

"I know something we can do," Brittany said.

Alvin sat up. "What?"

Brittany got up and walked toward the room in the back. "Follow me, guys."

Alvin usually didn't like following others (especially Brittany), but he was so tired of doing nothing that he actually wanted to know what Brittany had in mind. So he got up and walked toward the room. Theodore, Eleanor, and Jeanette followed as well.

Simon didn't look up from his magazine.

"Simon!" Brittany said loudly.

Simon looked up. "What?"

"Come on," Brittany said. "We're going to play a game."

Simon looked at the Chipette curiously. "Why do we have to go in _there_ to play?"

"I'll tell you when you join us," Brittany said with a smile.

Simon sighed heavily and, magazine in hand, walked into the room. He was right in the middle of reading an article about a fascinating new chemical discovery in France.

Brittany shut the door behind them and sat down on the bed. The boys and girls formed a small circle.

"We," Brittany said excitedly, "are going to play Truth or Dare!"

"What!" Alvin exclaimed. "No way!" He got up to leave.

"I thought that you wanted to do something fun," Brittany reminded him.

"Yeah," Alvin said, "and that won't be fun. This isn't one of your girly little slumber parties, Brittany. Guys don't play Truth or Dare."

Brittany smirked. This was too easy. "Fine," she said, "I guess you're too scared to play."

Alvin looked at her. "_Scared?"_

Brittany shrugged. "Well, yeah. But its okay, Alvin. I understand if you're too timid to play. Dares can be a bit scary."

Alvin sat back down. "I'm _not_ scared." He narrowed his blue eyes at her. "Bring on the dares."

_Bingo,_ Brittany thought. She knew how to make Alvin do exactly what she wanted. Truth or Dare was a game that needed as many participants as possible in order to be interesting.

"Well," Simon said, "as _fun_ as this game sounds… I'm afraid I'm going to have to pass."

"Oh come on Simon!" Theodore encouraged. "It might be fun!"

"I seriously doubt that, Theodore." Simon leaned back and read his magazine.

Alvin snatched Simon's magazine out of his hands.

"Hey! Alvin what are you doing?"

Alvin sat on the thick science magazine. "Play a few rounds and I'll give it back."

Simon frowned. "Stop being so juvenile, Alvin."

But his brother just shook his head. "Like I said, I'll give it back after you play."

Simon crossed his arms and muttered, "This is unbelieveable."

Brittany opened the door a crack to make sure that Dave was still busy. She figured that he wouldn't be hanging up with Miss Miller anytime soon.

She grabbed one of Alvin's empty Root Beer bottles off of a shelf.

"We'll use this to decide who chooses who," Brittany explained. She put the bottle in the center of the circle. "Whoever the bottle lands on first can ask the first question."

Brittany gave the bottle a good, hard spin. Six pairs of eyes watched the bottle spin round and round, all curious to see who would get to ask the first Truth or Dare question…

* * *

**A/N: Told you it sucked. The end was a little better though, right? I tried to leave it on a cliff-hanger, just to make up for all the lameness in the rest of the story. But, like I said before, next chapter will have more excitement, tension, romance, all that good stuff. So... please review! Oh, and in honor of this Sunday's Super Bowl: GO COLTS!**


	5. Chapter 5: Truth or Dare

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything

**Author's Note:** I've been wanting to write a Truth or Dare game about the Chipmunks for a while now, and I came up with this. It's a little boring in some parts (I don't usually like a bunch of dialogue, which is what this chapter is) but overall it's kind of funny. I still need to speed the story up though... at the rate I'm writing, this is gonna be like a 30 chapter story! Anyway, enjoy...

* * *

**Sunday June 9**

**5:02 pm**

Jeanette held her breath as the bottle began to slow down. For a moment, she thought it would end up pointing to her; but instead it came to a stop to her right, where Theodore was sitting. Jeanette let out a sigh of relief. She hated this game, but went along with it to keep Brittany happy.

Theodore grinned when he saw that he was going first. Brittany rolled her eyes. How was this game going to be scandalous when Theodore Seville was going to be asking the questions?

Theodore spun the bottle to see who the first victim would be. The bottle ended up pointing to the Chipette on Theodore's right: Eleanor.

This made Brittany roll her eyes again. This was going to be one lame game of Truth or Dare.

"Okay Ellie," Theodore giggled. "Truth or dare?"

Eleanor pursed her lips and thought for a moment. "Truth," she decided.

Theodore stared at the ceiling for a while, trying to come up with something to ask. After about thirty seconds, Brittany snapped, "Would you just ask her something?"

"I'm _thinking!_" Theodore said. "Hmm… okay, I have a question. What is your favorite pizza topping?"

"You can't ask her _that!_" Brittany yelled.

"Why not?" Theodore asked. "I thought I could ask her anything I wanted."

"Well, yeah, but…" Brittany was at a loss for words. "It's just… can't you think of anything better?"

"No," Theodore answered honestly.

Brittany let out a huffy breath and leaned against the wall.

"My favorite topping is pepperoni," Eleanor said with a smile. Theodore was so sweet. He didn't think to ask anything too personal during the game.

Eleanor gave the bottle a spin. To Jeanette's dismay, it pointed directly at her.

"Truth or dare?" Eleanor asked her sister.

"Um… truth," Jeanette said quietly. Her heart began to pound and her hands felt sweaty. She _really _didn't want to play anymore. Actually, she never wanted to play in the first place. Nothing good ever came out of Truth or Dare.

Eleanor thought of something to ask Jeanette. She decided to ask something that wouldn't be too embarrassing, but wouldn't be totally boring either. Finally, she came up with a decent question.

"Who was your first crush?" Eleanor asked.

Jeanette looked down at her lap and bit her lip. She hadn't thought about her first crush in a long time; she had actually forgotten that this particular guy had even been her first crush. But remembering it made her blush. She really didn't want to answer the question.

"Can I pass?" Jeanette asked.

"No!" Brittany said. Who _was _Jeanette's first crush anyway?

Eleanor felt a little guilty. It was obvious that Jeanette felt uncomfortable about the question. She didn't think that it would be so personal for Jeanette.

"Oh come on," Brittany coaxed. "Just tell us! It's not like anyone is going to say anything."

Jeanette took a deep breath and mumbled something quietly.

"What?" Everyone asked, unable to hear the quiet Chipette.

Jeanette gulped. "Alvin," she said. "My first crush was Alvin."

Eleanor, Theodore, and Brittany gasped. Simon just raised his eyebrows. Alvin beamed with pride.

"_You_ liked _Alvin?_" Brittany asked, not sure if she had heard her sister correctly.

Jeanette's face felt hot. "Yeah," she said, looking down. "Back when we first met the Chipmunks. I only liked him for a few weeks," she added quickly. After a few weeks, Jeanette realized that Alvin was very self-absorbed and kind of a jerk, and her feelings for him disappeared.

"_Really?_" Alvin said in an amused voice, getting up to sit next to his former admirer. He put his arm around Jeanette. "I had no idea that you had such strong romantic feelings for me!"

"I didn't," Jeanette gently removed Alvin's arm off her. "I mean, I wasn't in _love_ with you or anything, I just… well, I just thought you were cute." Jeanette's blush deepened. This was humiliating. She was so embarrassed that she was actually beginning to sweat.

"Don't be so modest!" Alvin said with a huge grin. "After all, I've charmed many women in my day…"

"Shut up, Alvin," Brittany said, getting annoyed with Alvin's boasting. She was also a little annoyed with Jeanette. Why hadn't she ever told her this? And Jeanette better had not liked Alvin when _she_ liked Alvin.

Alvin made a face at Brittany and returned to his original spot between her and Eleanor.

"So is that why you voted for Alvin as class president instead of me?" Brittany asked her sister. "You didn't vote for your own sister just because you had some stupid little crush on her opponent?"

Jeanette shrugged. "Well, I did think that Alvin's campaign was superior to yours and his ideas made more…"

"Whatever," Brittany said, folding her arms across her chest. "I've always wondered why you voted for Alvin instead of me. Now I guess I know why."

"But Brittany," Jeanette said, "I really did think that Alvin was more deserving…"

"Whatever," Brittany scoffed. "Just spin the bottle."

Brittany wasn't too upset about the election thing; after all, it happened_ years_ ago. She just played up her anger for some dramatic effect. The game was finally getting interesting.

Jeanette spun the bottle and it landed on Brittany.

"Truth or dare?" Jeanette asked, pushing her glasses further up the bridge of her nose.

Brittany decided to choose truth. She was almost positive that Jeanette wouldn't be able to come up with a good dare.

"Um, let's see…" Jeanette struggled to think of a decent question. She was still embarrassed about her confession. It didn't help that Alvin kept smiling and winking at her.

Jeanette asked the same question that had been given to her: "Who was _your_ first crush?"

Brittany rolled her eyes. "Jeanette! Everyone already knows the answer to that."

"I don't," Theodore admitted as he opened a package of Oreos.

"Alvin was my first crush," Brittany said in a bored voice.

Alvin adjusted his cap and laughed. "Wow!" he exclaimed. "I knew I was a ladies' man, but this is just too much!" Alvin looked at Eleanor and confidently said, "Don't tell me that I was part of your girlhood fantasies too!"

Eleanor grimaced. "Don't worry," she said, "you weren't."

Alvin shrugged. "Two out of three isn't bad."

Brittany eagerly grabbed the bottle and gave it a spin. Finally it was her turn!

The bottle stopped at Simon, who ran a hand through his hair and muttered, "You've got to be kidding me." He knew whatever Brittany would make him do would be humiliating, so he decided to go with truth. He didn't think Brittany would be as creative coming up with a question as opposed to an action.

Brittany thought about what to ask. Then she came up with something daring. A wicked smile appeared on her face.

"Who was your last wet dream about?"

"I'm out," Simon said automatically. He stood up to leave.

"You won't get your magazine back if you leave," Alvin reminded his brother.

"I'll take that risk," Simon said.

Alvin frowned. "Everyone else had to answer their questions, Simon."

Simon glared at his brother. "No one had to answer a question like _that_, Alvin!"

"Just tell us, Simon," Brittany said. "We won't make fun of you."

"No!" Simon said, his face turning red. The truth was, while he'd had some slightly erotic moments in his dreams, he never had a "wet dream." And even if he had, he wouldn't tell his brothers and their friends about it. "Why do you care anyway?"

Brittany shrugged. "I don't. But these questions are supposed to make you squirm. I'm just playing the game."

"Yeah, Simon," Alvin said. "You have the honor of answering the most awkward question we've had so far! Why not accept the challenge?"

Simon frowned. "Do you honestly think that what you just said will make me want to answer the question?"

"I don't know," Alvin said. He looked at Simon hopefully. "Does it?"

"No!"

"We won't say anything, Simon," Eleanor said softly. "I mean, if you do decide to tell us, we won't bring it up again if you don't want us to."

Simon sighed. "I appreciate that Eleanor. Unfortunately, some people can't be trusted though." He looked at Alvin.

Alvin rolled his eyes. "Whatever. The only subject of your wet dreams is probably a Bunsen burner or science text book or something."

"Hey Eleanor," Theodore whispered. "What's a wet dream?"

Eleanor held back a giggle. How could Theodore_ not_ know what that was?

"I'll tell you later," Eleanor replied, knowing that an awkward conversation would later take place between them.

"Just tell us," Alvin said, getting annoyed. "What's the big deal?"

"It's none of your business!" Simon insisted.

"Fine," Brittany surrendered. Simon had probably never even had an erotic dream anyway. He never showed any romantic interest in anyone; he was too busy doing homework and boring experiments. "Be a little baby and don't answer the question. Just spin the dumb bottle." She was tired of Simon's protesting; she had come up with by far the most interesting question and stupid boring Simon wouldn't answer it. She made a mental note never to invite Simon into a Truth or Dare game ever again.

Simon wasn't in the mood to play, but he figured he owed it to the others to at least ask a question since he wouldn't answer one.

Simon spun the empty bottle. It landed on Alvin.

"Dare!" Alvin said before Simon could even ask him which option he wanted.

"Okay," Simon said. It didn't take him long to think of a question. "I dare you to give each of us in this room a compliment."

Alvin opened his mouth to say something but Simon interrupted, "And when you're done with that, you have to say one negative thing about yourself."

Alvin frowned. "But that's…"

"And," Simon continued with a sly smile, "after you give a compliment, you have to hug the chipmunk you complimented."

"You just dared me to do _three_ things! The game isn't called Truth or Dare, Dare, Dare!" Alvin complained. He looked desperately at Brittany, who had become the unofficial referee of the game. "He can't do that, right?"

Brittany shrugged. "I don't see the problem." A few seconds before, she was so annoyed at Simon for being such a wimp. But she was intrigued by his dare for Alvin; it was perfect. Alvin had probably been expecting to do something cool and daring, but instead he had to say nice things about others and something bad about himself. Simon really was a genius.

Alvin rolled his blue eyes. "This is the stupidest dare ever. It's so boring!"

"Then why are you so upset about having to do it?" Eleanor asked.

"You're not going to refuse the dare, are you?" Simon asked.

"No!" Alvin said, folding his arms across his chest. "Because unlike _you_ Simon, I'm not a total wimp."

"I'm glad to hear it," Simon said, appearing unfazed by his brother's insult. "Well, I guess Eleanor will be first on your compliment list. Oh, and come up with something creative. You can't say something generic like, 'You're nice.' Be thoughtful."

Alvin sighed and looked at Eleanor. Her dark eyes were wide and an expectant grin was upon her face, waiting for a compliment.

"You're, uh, really good at soccer," Alvin said.

"Be more original, Alvin," Simon warned.

"I wasn't finished yet!" Alvin said, glaring at his taller brother. "You're dribbling has really improved since last year and you're the best passer on the team." He looked at Simon. "Happy now?" Theodore was the next one to be praised. "Okay, Theodore, you're really good at…"

"Alvin," Simon interrupted. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

Alvin's face went blank. What _was_ he forgetting?

"You have to give Ellie a hug!" Theodore cheerfully reminded Alvin.

Eleanor pulled Alvin into a quick hug. Alvin looked pretty annoyed once he pulled back.

Next was Theodore. Alvin wasn't sure what to say about Theodore. He wished he could say the obvious and tell him that he was a great cook, but Simon would probably say it wasn't "creative" enough.

So Alvin said, "Theodore, you're very kind. You're probably the kindest guy I know. You always put others before yourself and you never have anything bad to say about anyone."

"Aw," Theodore said with grin. "Thanks Alvin!" He gave his brother a big hug.

Jeanette blushed, as it was her turn to be complimented. "Um, that's okay," she said. "You can skip me." She _really_ didn't want to have anything to do with Alvin at the moment.

Simon shook his head. "The dare was that he has to say something positive about _everyone_."

Alvin grinned mischievously at the embarrassed Chipette. "You have great taste in men," he said with a wink.

"Alvin…" Simon warned.

Alvin sighed. "Relax, I was kidding… sort of." Alvin flashed a smile at Jeanette, who responded with a miserable groan. "Anyway, you look really great when you perform that cheesy… I mean, that _wonderful_ duet with Simon. That dress looks perfect on you."

"Thanks," Jeanette said quickly. "You don't have to hug me."

"Oh but I do!" Alvin insisted, giving Jeanette a big hug that made her uncomfortable.

"Okay, time to move on," Brittany said impatiently. Seeing Alvin flirt with Jeanette bothered her a little. She knew that Alvin was just doing it to be obnoxious, but for some reason she wished that _she _was the one getting the attention.

Brittany shook her head, trying to get rid of those thoughts. _Yuck,_ she thought,_ Why do I want Alvin to annoy me? What's wrong with me? It must be the lack of fresh air._

Simon was next to be complimented.

Alvin wished he could just say, "You're smart" and get it over with. But he knew he couldn't get away with that, so he said, "Simon, you're my best friend. I know that we fight sometimes, but in the end, you're always there for me and I can talk to you about anything."

_"Awwww!"_ Brittany and Eleanor cooed.

"Knock it off!" Alvin said with a frown. Brittany and Eleanor laughed as Alvin's face turned as red as his cap.

Simon couldn't help but smile. "Gee, thanks Alvin."

"Yeah, well, you said I had to be original," Alvin muttered. He gave his brother a hug and rolled his eyes as he looked at the last chipmunk he had to compliment.

Brittany smiled confidently at Alvin. She wondered which one of her many great qualities Alvin would choose.

Her smile disappeared as Alvin remained silent for a while, trying to think of something to say.

"It shouldn't be that hard to think of something, Alvin!" Brittany snapped.

But it _was_ hard for Alvin to think of something nice to say to Brittany. He could have said that he thought she was pretty, but that would be embarrassing if she knew that he thought she was attractive. Saying she was a good singer would be too "generic" in Simon's words. Finally Alvin came up with something that was somewhat unique (or at least he thought it was) and wouldn't make him embarrassed.

"You have nice hair," Alvin said simply.

Brittany frowned. That's _it?_ Of all the things he could have complimented her on, he says she has nice hair.

"What?" Alvin asked, noting Brittany's sour expression.

"Can't you be a little more specific?" she asked.

"Um…" Alvin studied Brittany's ponytail, trying to come up with something. "Well, it's… sort of a light brown color. Or is it more of a dark blond?"

Brittany shook her head in disbelief. "Whatever."

Alvin leaned forward and gave Brittany a quick hug. Brittany didn't hug back.

"Thank God that's over," Alvin sighed with relief.

"Not quite," Simon reminded his brother. "You have to say something negative about yourself."

"That's real nice Simon," Alvin said loudly. "Encouraging me to put myself down is so nice of you to do."

Simon shrugged. "Well you put yourself up so much; I thought it would be nice if you came back down to earth for a while."

Alvin frowned as he thought of something to say. He couldn't really think of anything bad about himself. He was talented, handsome, fun, smart… well, okay maybe not smart.

"I don't do well in school, okay?" Alvin admitted.

Simon grinned, clearly amused. "That's all. I guess it's your turn to ask the question now."

"You're damn right it's my turn," Alvin muttered. He spun the bottle and it landed on Brittany.

"Truth or dare?" Alvin asked with a smirk.

"Dare," Brittany said with confidence.

A devilish grin appeared on Alvin's face. "I dare you to kiss Theodore."

"What?!" Brittany and Eleanor yelled at the same time. Theodore dropped his bag of Oreo cookies.

"You heard me." Alvin leaned against the wall and looked at Brittany. His expression seemed to say, "There's no way you're actually going to go through with this."

Brittany was determined to prove him wrong. She crawled across the mattress toward Theodore and gave him a peck on the cheek. Eleanor sighed of relief. She was okay with a simple on-the-cheek kiss.

"What kind of kiss was that?" Alvin criticized. He figured Brittany would go all out.

Brittany shrugged. "You didn't say I had to French the guy."

_Damn it, she's right,_ Alvin said. He hated when she was right.

"My turn again!" Brittany chirped. Jeanette, Simon, and Eleanor groaned, each hoping that they didn't end up a victim to Brittany's awful questions.

Brittany was about to spin the bottle when the RV came to an abrupt halt. Eleanor peeked through the curtain and looked out the window to see a fast food restaurant.

"It looks like we're stopping for food," she observed.

"No fair!" Brittany pouted. "I had a _really_ good question prepared!"

"Well, I guess it will just have to wait," Jeanette said with a smile, relieved that the awful game was finally over.

Suddenly the door opened and Dave was looking at the teens questionably.

"What are you kids doing back here?" he asked.

"Nothing," Brittany insisted. "We were just, um, rehearsing some songs."

"Yeah," Alvin quipped. "We decided to do it back here so we wouldn't distract you when you were on the phone."

"Oh," Dave said. "Well, thanks I guess. Anyway, let's go get some food."

The chipmunks began walking off the RV. Brittany and Alvin were the last ones out.

"Kissing Theodore?" Brittany asked Alvin, referring to his dare. "Really?"

Alvin shrugged. "It was a good dare. You just didn't take advantage of it."

"I just figured that you'd come up with something more creative," Brittany admitted. She held back a smile when she saw Alvin frown.

"Well, technically the game isn't over," Alvin said. "And wait until my next dare. It'll be the craziest dare ever." He was bluffing of course. He hoped that Brittany couldn't tell.

"I'll be looking forward to it," Brittany said, smiling her evil smile.

Alvin smiled back. "You'd better. Like I said, this isn't over."

* * *

Please Review :)

Thanks for reading!!!


	6. Chapter 6: Wet n Wild

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything

**A/N: **I'm not going to lie; once again, I am not pleased with this chapter. I mean, I think I wrote it well but it feels like I've been writing the same stuff over and over. Writers block is slowly taking me over. I swear, I DO have some interesting plans for the story, it's just taking me a while to get to them. And I'm really tired so some parts are a tad sloppy. Ugh, I really need to stop dissing my stories. They aren't that bad. Okay, enough blabbering! Anyway, enjoy. :)

**

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****Wednesday June 12**

**12:43 pm**

"Cannonball!"

Alvin rushed past the NO RUNNING sign and jumped up in the air when he got to the pool edge. In mid air he tucked his legs to his chest and then landed with a loud _SPLASH_ in the cool water.

The Chipmunk's next show was in Chicago on Saturday night. Since they kids had been under some stress with all the performing and traveling, Dave decided to stop in Iowa and let the kids hang out at an outdoor water park for the day. It was a great time to visit a water park too; it was hovering around 90 degrees and it wasn't even the hottest part of the day yet. After dropping the kids off, Dave went to a local hotel where he could get some rest.

Alvin came up to the surface to hear an angry Chipette yell, "ALVIN SEVILLE!!!"

Alvin wiped his eyes and saw Brittany, who was wearing a metallic hot pink bikini, sitting on a white lounge chair. She looked a little wet, but he didn't think that she had gone swimming yet…

"Alvin!" Brittany yelled. "You got me wet!"

"So?" Alvin rolled his eyes. "It's a _water_ park, Brittany. There's _water_."

"I'm _trying_ to get a tan," Brittany explained. "I don't want to get wet!"

Alvin frowned. "Well then maybe you shouldn't have decided to sit so close to the freaking pool!"

Brittany held up her wet sunglasses. "Do you have any idea how much these cost?"

"No," Alvin replied. He leaned backwards and began floating on his back. "But I have a feeling I'm about to find out."

"Seventy dollars and sixteen cents!" Brittany shouted. "And now they're soaked!"

"So what?" Alvin shrugged. "Just clean them off."

Brittany sighed. "I can't just clean them off. They'll be all gross… they'll have those water marks on them and I'll have to take them to get professionally cleaned, and that'll cost me even more money, and I can't…"

Alvin took a handful of pool water and threw it in Brittany's face. He laughed as Brittany screamed and wiped the water off her face.

"Alvin!" she shouted. "People _pee_ in that water! I don't want any pee-water on me!"

Alvin grinned smugly. "Oh yeah?" He splashed even more water on the Chipette.

"ALVIN!" Brittany had had enough. "That's it!" She kicked off her flip flops and tossed her sunglasses on the chair. Within seconds, she jumped into the pool and was swimming toward Alvin.

"Uh oh," Alvin said. Brittany looked pretty pissed. Not in a scary, serious way though; it was actually kind of funny. But Alvin swam away from her anyway.

Brittany caught up to Alvin and tackled him. She pushed him down in the water; Alvin frantically tried to push her off. He eventually did, but it took a lot of work. Brittany was much stronger than she looked.

As Alvin coughed up water, Brittany giggled.

"Serves you right," she laughed.

Alvin narrowed his eyes and lunged for Brittany. He tackled her, and she tried to push him off. After a few minutes, both of the chipmunks were laughing and wrestling each other in the water, splashing and screaming, having a great time.

Then they were interrupted by a voice: "Hey guys! I didn't know you'd be here."

Alvin and Brittany suddenly stopped what they were doing and looked up; they saw Justin standing at the edge of the pool. He was shirtless, revealing his tanned, muscular torso. Brittany couldn't help but let out a gasp as she admired his impressive physique as he smiled and waved.

Alvin, who was on Brittany's back, suddenly felt himself being pushed off. He yelped as Brittany threw him backwards without warning.

When Alvin was under water, he opened his eyes and saw Brittany's legs quickly swimming away from him over toward where they had seen Justin. By the time he got to the surface, Justin was helping Brittany out of the pool.

"She could have at least said good bye," Alvin muttered. Oh well. There were plenty of fun things to do in the pool himself, like swim. And… swim. And swim. Alvin sighed. "Maybe I should go find the others," he said to himself.

The other chipmunks were on the other side of the park, in line for the biggest water slide in the whole state (at least that's what a sign in front of the slide said). Simon, Theodore, Jeanette, and Eleanor were standing on the slippery stairs that led to the top of the tall slide.

Jeanette peeked over the railing and felt her stomach turned. They weren't even to the top yet, but they were already so high up. And Jeanette was not a big fan of heights.

"Are you okay, Jeanette?" Simon asked.

"No." Jeanette figured that lying would be pointless.

"You'll be fine," Eleanor assured. She adjusted her white-blond ponytail and grinned. "Water slides are so much fun!"

Jeanette looked down again. The people looked like little ants from where she was standing.

"You know," Simon said softly, "constantly looking down probably won't make you feel any better."

Jeanette nodded. "You're right. I won't look down." Jeanette held her chin up and looked ahead of her. _Don't look down, don't look down._

The line moved and the chipmunks stepped up the last set of stairs. A teenage boy wearing a red t-shirt that had the word STAFF on the back and khaki shorts looked at Theodore and said, "You're next, buddy!"

Theodore grinned. "Finally!" He had gotten over his fear of water slides/roller coasters/intimidating rides years ago.

The employee briefly explained a few obvious safety tips to Theodore, and then the chubby chipmunk was off.

Eleanor went next, giggling with excitement as she disappeared down the slide.

Simon looked at Jeanette. "It's your turn."

Jeanette bit her lip and looked over the railing again. She couldn't help but imagine herself falling off the fast slide, going KER-SPLAT on the rough pavement.

"I can't," Jeanette said. She turned to walk down the stairs, but Simon grabbed her hand.

"Jeanette," he said calmly, "you just waited in line for a half hour and you're turning back?"

"Um, yes," Jeanette said.

"What if I went with you?" Simon suggested.

"Huh?"

"We'll go together." Simon turned to the teenage employee. "Is it alright if I slid with her? She's frightened."

The boy shrugged. "Well, technically you're supposed to go one at a time, but I guess I'll let you two go together. Just don't let word get around that I let a pair go through."

"Our lips are sealed," Simon said. He gently guided Jeanette to the edge of the pool. She sat down and Simon sat behind her.

"You spent nearly a month floating over the world in a hot air balloon," Simon said to Jeanette. "What's the big deal about a water slide?"

Before Jeanette could say anything, Simon pushed forward and the two began to slide down; slowly at first, but then the speed picked up.

"AHHH!" the both yelled as they picked up speed. They slid so fast that Jeanette's eyes began to water from the wind hitting her in the face so hard.

But by the time Simon and Jeanette were halfway down, Jeanette began enjoying herself.

"Woo hoo!!!" Jeanette hollered, surprising Simon.

Then they came to the bottom of the slide where they both landed in the water with a big splash. The chipmunks laughed as they made their way toward the pool edge.

"That was great!" Jeanette said as she and Simon climbed up the stairs to exit the pool.

"Aren't you glad you did it?" Simon asked.

Jeanette smiled. "I'm very glad I did it. I don't even remember why I was so afraid in the first place. I guess I was just-WHOA!" Jeanette slipped on the wet ground. Simon reached out just in time and caught her.

They looked at each other. They stayed like that (Jeanette in Simon's arms) a second longer than they needed to. Feeling a little uncomfortable, Simon let go of Jeanette after making sure that she had regained balance.

"Uh, careful," Simon said awkwardly. "It's really slippery."

"Right," Jeanette said, looking in another direction. "Thanks."

"No problem." Simon felt his face flush. He figured he was probably getting a sun burn.

"There you guys are!"

Simon and Jeanette looked over to see Alvin walking toward them. "I've been looking all over the place for you."

"Where's Brittany?" Jeanette asked. Last she knew, Alvin and Brittany were hanging out by a pool on the other side of the park.

"Who?" Alvin asked nonchalantly.

"Brittany," Jeanette repeated.

"Oh." Alvin said, rolling his eyes. "_Her._ Yeah, she's with what's-his-name. You know, that dork in the band."

"His name is Justin, Alvin," Simon said, irritated by his brother's rudeness. "And you know it."

"I didn't know Justin was here," Jeanette said.

"Yeah, well, he is." Alvin looked around. "So what were you guys up to?"

"Nothing!" Simon and Jeanette blurted at the same time.

Alvin raised an eyebrow. "Okay…" Nerdy kids were so weird. "So what do you guys want to do?"

Theodore and Eleanor hurried up to the others.

"There's a big game of squirt gun tag about to start," Eleanor announced. "It looks like fun. We should totally do it!"

Alvin shrugged. "I'm game."

Simon looked at the lanky chipette in the purple polka dot swim suit. "What do you say, Jeanette?"

Jeanette smiled weakly. She wasn't a big fan of games, but a squirt gun fight could be fun. "Let's do it!"

***

**3:07 PM**

Brittany was lounging in a hot tub next to Justin. They had been alternating their time between tanning on the lounge chairs, floating in the pool, and sitting in the hot tub (despite the blistering hot weather). Brittany had been so stressed out about the concerts lately; it felt so nice to relax. She really liked being with Justin. He made her happy; they'd had a lot of good chats that afternoon.

"Britt?" Justin said. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course!" Brittany said, sounding a little too excited than she meant to. Was he going to ask her out on date? Was he going to ask to kiss her?

"Did you and Alvin ever… well… go out?"

Brittany frowned, unable to hide her disappointment. She was just starting to forget about Obnoxious Alvin when Justin had to bring him up. "Go out? Like, as in a date?"

Justin nodded. "Yeah. Were you ever an item?"

Brittany thought for a moment. _Were_ they ever an item? Sure, she had a crush on Alvin when they were younger, but Alvin had never shown much interest in her back. Or did he? She wasn't quite sure… she always assumed that Alvin didn't feel the same way she did, but now that she was older, Brittany realized that Alvin was just a kid at the time. Maybe he didn't know how to express his feelings for her. Or maybe he just simply didn't like her "in that way."

"Brittany?" Justin said, interrupting her thoughts. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Brittany said, snapping out of it. "Um, no. We never dated. I mean, I had a crush on him when I was like eight but that doesn't mean anything now."

Justin leaned back. Brittany noticed the way his muscles tightened and loosened. God, he was perfect.

"Do you think he likes you?" Justin asked.

Brittany actually laughed out loud at Justin's suggestion. Alvin? Liking her? Get real.

"I'll take that as a no," Justin said, smiling.

"Alvin and I fight all the time," Brittany said, still laughing. "Besides, we've known each other forever. It would be weird if we started liking each other now. I'm pretty sure Alvin can't stand me, which works for me, because I can't stand him."

Justin looked at her. "I don't know. He seemed to be able to stand you today when you two were playing around in the pool earlier."

Brittany stopped laughing. "We were fighting. He was being obnoxious and I was just defending myself."

"Well what about the fact that he hates me?"

"He's jealous of your _talent_," Brittany said. "Not because of the fact that I like you. He couldn't care less about who I like."

"But what about…" Justin paused. "Wait… you like me?"

Brittany grinned. "Duh." She scooted closer to the good looking guy on her right.

"Well that works out great," Justin said, smiling, "because I like you too."

Brittany wanted so badly to squeal with joy, but she knew she had to keep her cool. She didn't want to sound like a total loser in front of Justin.

"So I like you," Brittany said in her flirtatious voice "and you like me. What do you suppose we do about that?"

Justin was about to speak when he and Brittany spotted five familiar chipmunks walking toward them.

"You've got to be kidding me," Brittany mumbled. Why did they always have to interrupt these perfect moments?

"Hi Britt," Eleanor said with a friendly smile. "We missed you during the big squirt gun fight."

"Say what?" Brittany had no clue what her sister was talking about.

Theodore proudly held up a small, silver trophy. "Our team got second place in the tournament."

"Yeah," Alvin boasted. "We were awesome out there. Technically we needed six people on a team, so we had to recruit some nerdy eleven year old kid, but it worked out because he was probably about at your skill level anyway."

Brittany narrowed her eyes at Alvin's insult.

"We_ did_ miss you Brittany," Jeanette said. "We probably would have gotten first place with you."

Alvin rolled his eyes. Brittany would be too afraid to get her hair wet during the game.

"So what did you do the whole time?" Alvin asked. "Sit in hot water in the scorching hot sun?"

"Yeah," Brittany said with a cocky grin. "We did. And I'm sure it was a lot better than some stupid squirt gun game."

Simon decided to interfere before the arguing got worse. "We came to get you because Dave called and said he was going to pick us up soon."

"We haven't even been here that long!" Brittany complained.

"You shouldn't have been wasting the whole afternoon sitting," Alvin said. "We've been sitting around for two weeks, and when we finally get a chance to do something fun, you just sit some more!"

"Dude, what's your problem?" Justin asked.

The Chipmunks and Chipettes looked at the good-looking boy in surprise. No one ever asked Alvin what his problem was. It was just never questioned.

"What?" Alvin was obviously caught off guard.

"Well, it's just that you keep picking on Brittany for no reason," Justin said with a shrug. "I mean, she didn't even say anything to you and you're criticizing her. Why can't you just leave her alone?"

Brittany's heart sped up. No one ever said anything to Alvin when he was mean to her.

Alvin was at a loss for words. His mouth opened but nothing came out.

Simon was amused at Alvin's bewildered expression. He never thought he'd see the day when his brother, Alvin Seville, was speechless.

"I'll see you guys around," Justin said, getting out of the hot tub. He looked at Brittany and smiled. "I'll call you later."

"You'd better," Brittany said, grinning. Between Justin admitting that he liked her and Alvin getting owned, she couldn't remember the last time she was so happy.

The Chipmunks and the Chipettes packed up their things and made their way toward the exit of the park, along the way, they were stopped by a small pack of attractive teenage girls holding notepads and pens.

Alvin felt himself perking up a little. He loved giving autographs to adoring fans; especially _pretty _adoring fans.

"Okay ladies," Alvin said, getting his confidence back. He grabbed a pen from a brunette girl in a yellow bikini. "Who do I make these out to?"

"Nobody," the girl replied, taking back her pen. "We want Simon's autograph."

Simon blinked a few times, making sure he wasn't dreaming. Girls were turning down an autograph from Alvin the "star" for his signature? This was an extremely rare occurrence.

"You want _my _autograph?" Simon asked, still surprised.

"You want _his_ autograph?!" Alvin echoed in horror.

A girl with long red hair giggled. "He's so modest. How adorable!"

The brunette shoved her notepad and pen at the tallest chipmunk and squealed, "Can you make mine out to Becky, your biggest fan?"

"Um, well, of course," Simon said, scribbling the request on the paper.

"You're so great in your duet with Jeanette," Becky gushed.

"You've seen it?" Simon asked.

"Well, yeah," Becky said. "It's all over the internet."

Jeanette's eyes widened. "It is?" She didn't think that her performance would be all over the web. That meant anyone in the world could see her sing; it meant that anyone in the world could see her trip and fall during a show. Great.

"Can I get your autograph too?" a slim girl in a neon green swimsuit asked Jeanette.

Jeanette nodded. "Sure!"

Alvin felt a little woozy. His confidence had taken a huge beating in the last ten minutes. First that idiot from the band called him out on something that wasn't any of his business and now he was getting outshined by Simon and Jeanette, the most boring people on Earth. Alvin had hit a new low.

After about five more minutes of the nauseating Simon-Jeanette fan club meeting, the girls left and Dave pulled the RV next to the gate. The six teens walked up the steps, greeted by Dave's cheerful smile.

"Did you kids have fun?"

"Check out what we won, Dave!" Theodore happily showed off the gang's second place trophy to his father. Theodore wasn't used to winning any awards (especially not for any physical activity) so it was a huge accomplishment for him.

Dave couldn't help but notice Alvin's vacant expression.

"Is everything okay, Alvin?" he asked.

When Alvin didn't answer, Simon quietly said to Dave, "Don't worry about Alvin. He's just acting a little… over dramatic."

Dave nodded. "I see." He wasn't too surprised. "Well I think I might have something to cheer him up. There's going to be a small red carpet event in Chicago on Friday night and you kids are going!"

Brittany squealed with delight. A party was exactly what she needed.

Alvin's eyes widened. He had never been to a red carpet party before. This was surprising, considering how much star power he had.

"What will I wear?" Brittany asked aloud. "And what am I going to do with my hair?" Brittany tugged on her ponytail. "Dave, do you mind if we stop at a salon before the party? I need to look my best, and I can't do it by getting ready in a tiny hotel room."

"I think you can manage Brittany," Dave said with a laugh.

Jeanette wasn't sure how to feel about a red carpet party. She had never even been to a high school party, let alone a party with celebrities.

After everyone had settled down from the excitement, they began to go do their own thing.

"Simon," Eleanor said, "do you mind if I borrow your laptop?"

"Not at all," Simon replied. "It's in the back room."

"Thanks."

Eleanor loved being on tour, but sometimes it felt as if she lived in a bubble; she and the others had watched very little television and she hadn't been online in weeks. Normally Eleanor could get along just fine without technology, but for some reason she felt like getting on the internet just to see what was going on in the world.

Eleanor turned on the portable computer and within seconds she found herself connected to the World Wide Web. She decided to type in _Alvin and the Chipmunks_ in the search engine, but to see what she would find. Something on the search results page caught her eye: an online message board dedicated to the Chipmunks and Chipettes.

Eleanor clicked on the link and scrolled through the forum topics. Most of them were fairly similar; there were quite a few threads about how good-looking Alvin and Brittany were and how adorable Theodore was. Eleanor was a bit surprised about how many Simon and Jeanette fans there were on the site. Everyone was gushing about how attractive and talented they were. Eleanor knew they would be super surprised about how many people loved them.

She couldn't help but notice that there weren't very many topics about her. The only time she was mentioned was in a thread about Theodore (people were wondering if they were really dating). Eleanor clicked on the second page and finally saw her name in a topic that read: _About Eleanor_.

The curious chipette opened the topic. Her eyes scanned over the first message, written by someone named Chipmunk_fan99:

_Why is Eleanor even part of The Chipettes? She's not very pretty compared to Brittany and Jeanette. And she's kind of getting fat. It was cute when she was younger, but now it looks bad._

Eleanor felt as if someone had punched her in the stomach. She read the next message from a different poster:

_You're right; Eleanor is just so boring! I agree with you on the weight thing… being chubby when you're young is okay, but not when you get older. But Theodore can pull it off!_

There were a few posters that came to Eleanor's defense, saying that she wasn't boring and she wasn't that fat. But Eleanor still felt upset. She felt hot tears stinging her eyes.

"Ellie?"

Eleanor jumped. She looked back and saw Theodore looking at her curiously. She quickly hit the red X on the right hand side of the screen, making the message board disappear.

"Are you okay?" Theodore was holding a bag of mini muffins.

Eleanor wiped her eyes. "Um, yeah," she lied. "I just read something kind of sad."

"What did you read?" Theodore asked.

"Something about a puppy," Eleanor said. "Who died," she added.

Theodore gently patted Eleanor's shoulder. "Eleanor! Why would you read such a horrible thing?"

Eleanor shrugged. Her heart felt heavy; she had no idea that she could feel so sad just from reading words that someone she didn't even know wrote about her.

"Want a muffin?" Theodore generously held the little bag out in front of him.

"No thanks," Eleanor said quickly. Apparently it wasn't "cute" to be chubby and Eleanor didn't feel like eating a fattening treat at the moment.

Theodore shrugged at popped a muffin in his mouth.

As much as Eleanor loved Theodore, she wanted to be alone for a while. She couldn't tell Theodore the real reason she felt upset. He just wouldn't understand; no one ever had anything bad to say about Theodore.

"I think I'm going to take a little nap," Eleanor said, turning off the computer.

"Oh," Theodore said. "Okay. Sleep tight Ellie." He walked out of the small room.

Eleanor forced a smile as she lay down on the mattress. "Thanks Teddy."

The messages reappeared in Eleanor's mind as she closed her eyes. She knew she wasn't exactly the skinniest girl ever, but she never thought of herself as fat. And she certainly wasn't boring… right?

***


	7. Chapter 7: Party Animals

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the chipmunk characters or songs featured in this story.

**Author's Note: **First of all, thanks to all of you for the kind comments on the latest "Dear Brittany" chapter. I was feeling upset about a lack of reviews, but you were all very nice and encouraging. So, thank you! Now about this story... this is the first time during this whole story that I can honestly say I really like this chapter. I'm usually never 100% pleased by the chapters in this story, but I'm really proud of this. I hope you all enjoy it, even if it is pretty long (you can always read some of it and come back to it later if it's too long for you to read in one sitting). But it's a pretty easy read so it shouldn't take _too_ long. I had fun writing it, so enjoy! Please review, I'd like to hear you're opinions about this chapter (which is by far my favorite so far!).

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**Friday June 14**

**11:39 am**

Eleanor stood in front of the full length mirror in the hotel room and sighed. She just couldn't get over the fact that people thought she was fat. She never used to think her weight was an issue; she knew she wasn't small, but she never considered herself to be fat.

Eleanor turned to the side and looked closely at her stomach. So maybe it did stick out a little. But she didn't think look it looked that bad. Eleanor sucked in her tummy and looked again. Actually, that made a nice difference; she didn't look so...

"What are you doing?"

Eleanor gasped, startled by the voice. She turned toward the door and saw Brittany holding some hangers with dresses on them.

"I didn't see you there," Eleanor said, slightly embarrassed that her sister had just caught her posing in front of a mirror.

Brittany walked in the room. "You've been spending a lot of time looking in the mirror lately. Have you turned into a female version of Alvin Seville or something?"

Eleanor smiled. "No, that title would belong to you."

Brittany rolled her eyes but couldn't help but grin. She was in such a good mood that she didn't even care that she had just been compared to Alvin.

"I'm _so_ excited for the party tonight." Brittany laid the dresses out on the bed. "I unpacked some of our nice dresses from the RV. I haven't decided if I'm going to wear the short pink one or the long silver one."

Eleanor sighed. She hadn't thought about what outfit she was going to wear.

"Oh!" Brittany squealed suddenly, making Eleanor jump. "I almost forgot! I talked Dave into letting us go to the salon later to get ready for the party! Won't that be fun?"

"I guess." Eleanor wasn't really into "girly" stuff like salons, but she didn't have the heart to tell Brittany that. She hadn't seen Brittany that happy in a long time, and she wasn't about to bring her excitement down by complaining.

Jeanette came into the room, carrying more dresses. She was trying very hard not to trip; if she fell, then she would get dirty. And if _she_ got dirty, the dresses would get dirty. Falling down was clearly not an option.

"What dress are you going to wear, Jeanette?" Brittany asked.

Jeanette shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't really given it much thought."

"Really?" Brittany picked up a dress and looked it over. "It's all I've thought about since Dave told us we were going to the party."

Jeanette and Eleanor exchanged glances. Brittany, who usually tried so hard to be sophisticated, was actually acting a little… well, _hyper_. It was as if she had just chugged five cups of coffee and eaten a bag of candy.

"What?" Brittany said, noting her siblings' amused expressions. "Can't a girl be excited?"

Eleanor giggled. "Of course you can, Britt. It's just, well, you seem _really_ excited."

"That's because I _am_ really excited!" Brittany held up the sequined-covered pink dress to her body and twirled in front of the mirror. "Guess who's going to be there."

Jeanette and Eleanor shrugged. "Who?"

"Justin!" Brittany said happily. "Plus there will be celebrities and dancing and music and delicious food and beautiful people wearing beautiful clothes and…"

Brittany was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Girls?" It was Dave. "Meet me in the lobby in about ten minutes. I'm sure you don't want to be late for your appointment at the salon."

"Okay, Dave!" the Chipettes answered in unison.

Brittany walked over to the bed and picked up a pretty mint green dress. "You should wear this Ellie," she suggested.

Eleanor looked at the dress skeptically. She had worn it to a school dance last fall; it was a lovely dress, but what if it was too tight? She had gained a little weight since then.

"Don't you think it'll be a little small?" Eleanor asked.

Brittany looked carefully at the dress. "No, it'll fit. You just wore it a few months ago." She shoved the dress into her sister's arms. "Try it on. Now for Jeanette…" Brittany studied her taller sister.

"I think I'm just going to wear my navy blue dress," Jeanette said.

Brittany made a face. "The one with the buttons? Jeanette, that makes you look like a secretary." Jeanette watched as her sister sort through the dresses on the bed. She pulled up a satin lavender dress. "What about this one?"

"I don't know," Jeanette said, adjusting her glasses. She didn't even remember buying that dress. "It's kind of short."

"So? You've got the legs to pull it off," Brittany insisted. She smiled slyly. "Besides, you want to look good for Simon, don't you?"

Jeanette's eyes widened and her cheeks turned pink. "W-what does Simon have to do with anything?"

"Oh please, Jeanette." Brittany rolled her eyes. "It's obvious that you like him."

Jeanette opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

"It's not a big deal," Brittany said, rummaging through her jewelry box. "The only one who doesn't know is Simon. Oh, these earrings will go great with the dress!" Brittany held up some sparkly purple earrings to Jeanette.

"Everyone knows?" Jeanette groaned.

"Probably," Brittany said. "You always stare at him with a goofy look on your face."

Jeanette sighed. Okay, so maybe she sort of _did_ like Simon. They had been spending a lot of time together lately; she had known Simon for years, yet they had never hung out as much as they had been that month. Jeanette liked being in Simon's company; they always had good conversation, and she could talk to him about things that would usually bore Brittany and Eleanor, like classic literature and famous scientists.

"I guess I do like him," Jeanette admitted. "A little," she quickly added.

"Do you think he likes you?" Eleanor asked.

"Oh, I don't think so," Jeanette said, even though she hadn't really thought of the possibility that Simon might like her back.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Brittany said. "You know how the Seville boys are. They don't know how to express their feelings when it comes to love."

"So does that mean you think that Alvin used to like you but couldn't admit it?" Eleanor couldn't help but ask.

"How should I know?" Brittany scoffed. "And could you guys please stop bringing up Alvin as a love interest? That was _years_ ago." Brittany held up the earrings to Jeanette's ears. "Oh, Jeanette, you _have_ to wear these with the dress!"

"Fine," Jeanette said. "I'll wear them."

Brittany kept digging through her box. "And now for you Ellie, I was thinking you'd like to stick to the classic pearl necklace and earrings."

"I always wear the pearls," Eleanor pointed out.

Brittany looked curiously at her sister. "I thought you liked pearls."

"I do," Eleanor said. "I just want to wear something a little flashier tonight."

"Flashier?" Brittany raised her perfectly shaped brows.

"Yeah," Eleanor said as she dug through the jewelry box and found emerald colored hoops. "What about these? These look fun."

Brittany shrugged. "I guess. But they don't really match your-"

"Pearls are boring," Eleanor interrupted. "I don't want to look boring tonight." Eleanor took the earrings and also pulled out a gold necklace with large, sparkly green jewel as the charm.

Brittany smiled, pleasantly surprised with her sister's boldness. "Whatever you say, Eleanor."

"We should probably meet Dave now," Jeanette suggested.

The girls gathered up their things and headed downstairs toward the lobby. A very excited, pink-clad Chipette proudly lead the way.

***

**7:29 pm**

"Where are they?" Alvin nervously paced around the hotel lobby. The party started at eight and the Chipmunks were still at the hotel waiting on Dave to pick up the girls from the salon.

Dave had left to get the girls nearly a half hour ago; the salon was only about five minutes away. All three Chipmunks were starting to get a little impatient, especially Alvin.

"I don't understand why it takes them seven hours to get ready for a party," Alvin said to his brothers. "It only took us, what, an hour maybe? And we look fine."

"Yeah," Theodore said. "But we don't have to put on make-up and do our hair and put on dresses and do our nails and…"

"Well that still shouldn't take seven hours!" Alvin spat.

Simon sighed. He wasn't really looking forward to the party. He didn't like dressing up in stiff suits and putting on hair gel. He felt uncomfortable being around large groups of people, especially people he didn't know. Simon probably would have politely declined the invitation if it weren't for the fact that it was a charity event.

The boys looked out the clear revolving doors and saw a white limousine pull up. It was a little dark outside, and the Chipmunks were surprised when they could make out the shadows of Dave and the Chipettes stepping out of the glamorous looking vehicle. The Chipettes walked in the lobby, and the Chipmunks were a little taken aback when they saw them.

All three girls looked absolutely beautiful.

Jeanette's shiny lavender dress looked a little out of character for her; it was a much skimpier style than Jeanette usually was associated with, yet it made her look lovely and really emphasized her long, slender legs. Her glossy dark hair was in a neatly styled up-do and her plum colored make-up was perfectly applied to her pretty face.

Eleanor's flaxen hair was in wild curls that tumbled down her back. Eleanor rarely wore her hair down, so the new hair-do (combined with her expertly made-up face) made her almost unrecognizable. Her pale green dress hugged her curves, making her look sultry, much different than the sporty, sweet Eleanor everyone was used to.

And of course there was Brittany, wearing mile-high heels and wearing diamond jewelry from head to toe. Her strapless light pink dress was covered in sequins, making it sparkle with every move she made. It wrapped her body perfectly, making her look like a model. Her brown hair was pin-straight and looked super sleek. Her unique rose colored make-up brought out the pretty pink tones in her complexion, making her look even more stunning.

Alvin knew that all three Chipettes looked great, but he couldn't take his eyes off of Brittany. His heart skipped a beat when he saw her, something that had never happened before; she literally took his breath away. As hard as he tried to look away, he just couldn't stop staring. He loved how her dress fit her, he liked how her cool her hair looked, and he kept looking at her glossy pink lips. He had a sudden urge to kiss them.

Brittany didn't see Alvin staring at her (she was too busy twirling around, showing off for everyone in the lobby) but Simon took notice. He nudged his brother gently.

"Alvin," he whispered. "Are you okay?"

"Huh?" Alvin muttered. His eyes were glazed over and his mouth hung open; it was as if he were in a trance.

Simon rolled his eyes. When no one was looking, he hit Alvin (not too hard though) in the back of his head.

"Ouch!" Alvin rubbed his head. "What was that for?"

"You were beginning to drool," Simon answered.

Alvin frowned and wiped his chin, just to make sure Simon was only kidding.

"I feel a little sick," Alvin muttered quietly.

Simon chuckled. "You were overwhelmed by Brittany," he explained.

Alvin snapped out of his bizarre Brittany admiration. "What are you talking about? I was not! I was just… amazed that she didn't look _better_ after seven hours of primping!"

"I think you were amazed that seven hours of primping paid off so _nicely_," Simon said.

Alvin rolled his eyes. "You have no idea what you're talking about."

Simon just shrugged and walked up to Jeanette.

"You look great, Jeanette," Simon said with a sincere smile. Jeanette's glamorous purple dress looked more like something Brittany would wear, but Simon thought it looked spectacular on Jeanette nevertheless.

"Thank you," Jeanette said. She had never spent so much time in a beauty parlor before; she spent much less time getting made up for concerts than some party. But Brittany insisted that the Chipettes had to look their best, and they needed everything about them to be perfect. "You and your brothers look very nice," Jeanette said. She meant it too; the Chipmunks looked quite handsome in their nice suits.

"Thanks," Simon said. "But I don't think we could look as nice as you and your sisters do. Not even if we spent seven hours getting ready too."

Jeanette laughed.

"Is that limo for us, Dave?" Theodore asked his father. He loved riding in limos.

"I realized that I had a little extra money from our concerts to spend, so I rented a limo for us to ride to the party," Dave said with a smile. "I figured you all deserved a real star treatment tonight."

A happy chorus of "thank yous" came from the Chipmunks and Chipettes.

"Well you kids deserve it," Dave said. "Now we should get going before we're late!"

Alvin, Simon, Theodore, Brittany, Jeanette, and Eleanor made their way out of the lobby and into the limo, each one having different feeling and expectations about the party ahead of them.

***

**8:07 pm**

Brittany excitedly glanced out the window as the long, sleek vehicle slowly made its way to the red carpet area.

For as long as she could remember, Brittany had dreamed about strolling down a red carpet; fans calling her name, begging for her autograph, the paparazzi snapping pictures of her, saying, "Love ya, Britt!" Brittany could hardly contain her excitement as the limo rolled to a stop.

Alvin was looking out the window too. "Where is everyone?" he asked. There were only about thirty people behind the velvet ropes, unlike the hundreds that were on TV. And there were only a few people with cameras there.

"It's not exactly an A-lister event," Dave admitted. "I mean, you may some people you recognize but don't expect someone like Will Smith to be there."

Alvin was a little disappointed, but Brittany felt relieved. Without huge stars there, she would stand out more.

As soon as the limo door opened, Alvin and Brittany both dove for the door, eager to be the first one out of the car. They got there at the same time, getting stuck in the doorway.

"Alvin!" Brittany hissed. "Let me go first!"

"No way!" Alvin retorted, trying to make his way through.

Dave, who had exited the limo from the other side, gave his son a stern look.

"Alvin," he said in a warning tone, "be polite and let Brittany out first."

Alvin frowned. He stopped pushing forward and let Brittany squeeze out of the car first.

With a confident smile and a flip of her shiny hair, Brittany strutted down the long red carpet. She heard clicks of cameras and found herself surrounded by bright white flashes.

"Brittany!" she heard a paparazzi member yell. "Over here!"

Brittany struck a pose with her hand on her hip and showed off one of her dazzling smiles.

The other five chipmunks stood by the limousine, which was pulling away.

"She certainly seems to be enjoying herself," Simon observed.

"Brittany has been practicing her red carpet walk ever since she was in diapers," Eleanor said. "This is a huge deal for her."

"Well it's a big deal for me too," Alvin said, even though he had walked down the scarlet carpet a few times in his career. "C'mon guys, it's our turn."

Alvin led the way, waving to the crowd.

Gradually the cameras stopped flashing at Brittany and began focusing on something behind her. Brittany turned to see her siblings and the Chipmunks strolling down the carpet. She had been so focused on the moment that she had forgotten they were even there.

Suddenly Brittany found herself face-to-face with a microphone.

"Hi Brittany," a good-looking man wearing a tux boomed. "Mind if we ask a few questions?"

"Not at all," Brittany said with a smile. A man holding a large video camera approached them. The interviewer looked at the camera until the cameraman said they were rolling.

"Hello everyone, I'm James Hartland and I'm here with Brittany Miller of the Chipettes," James said enthusiastically.

Brittany gave an elegant wave to the camera.

"Brittany," James said, "we understand that you've just kicked off a tour across America with the Chipmunks. How has that been going?"

"Wonderful!" Brittany said. "I'm having the best time."

James asked a few more questions, mostly about the tour.

"One last question, Brittany," James said with a smile. "A lot of fans suspect that you and Alvin Seville are in a romantic relationship. Can you confirm or deny it?"

Brittany held back an angry glare. Why did people always have to bring up Alvin when she was having fun? It was beyond irritating!

But Brittany smiled sweetly into the camera and said, "Alvin and I have a professional relationship. We've never dated and we never will."

"Thanks for your time Brittany," James said. "Have a great time inside!"

"Thank you," Brittany replied.

The camera stopped rolling and James shook Brittany's hand.

"Thanks for the interview," James said. "You were great. It'll be up on our website by tomorrow if you want to check it out."

James told Brittany the website name and went off to interview someone else.

She couldn't believe it; she had just been interviewed. And she did a good job!

Between all the picture taking and interviews, it took a while for the Chipmunks and Chipettes to make their way toward the end of the carpet. The red carpet led to a large, exquisite hotel ballroom where the party was. People in expensive-looking outfits clothing were dancing to the music and chatting.

Theodore spotted the huge buffet table right away. "Ellie, look!" he said, pointing the table out to his girlfriend. "I'll bet that food is delicious! These events always get the best chefs." Theodore hurried toward the gourmet food.

Eleanor reluctantly followed him. She _was _feeling hungry; the girls didn't get to eat lunch because they were at the beauty salon all afternoon. Maybe she could have a salad or something; she didn't want to feel bloated from eating too much. Her dress already felt pretty tight.

Brittany gasped as she spotted a raven-haired girl a few feet away from them wearing a glittery gold dress.

"Jeanette!" Brittany said, grabbing her sister. "Look who it is!"

"Huh?" Jeanette was confused. "Who?"

Brittany sighed impatiently. "The girl with the dark hair, the one in the gold dress, that's Destiny Walters from _The Bay_!"

"What's _The Bay_?" Simon asked.

"It's a reality show about a bunch of spoiled rich kids who live near some bay," Alvin explained in a bored tone.

"It _happens_ to be one of my favorite shows," Brittany said, glaring at Alvin. "I'm going to go introduce myself."

Alvin's eyes widened. "But Destiny Walters is one of the meanest girls on the show."

"So?" Brittany shrugged and started walking over to Destiny. "She's on TV, so I want to meet her."

"This will go over well," Alvin said sarcastically to Simon and Jeanette.

Destiny was talking to some blond girl Brittany didn't recognize and was holding hands with a handsome guy. Brittany had seen the guy on The Bay a few times but couldn't remember his name.

"Hi," Brittany said. Destiny, the guy, and the blond girl stopped talking and looked at Brittany. "I'm Brittany Miller, from the Chipettes."

Destiny tilted her head to the side. "What _are_ you?"

Brittany stood up a little straighter. "I'm a chipmunk. I love _The Bay._ I watch it all the time."

Destiny smirked. "Uh, thanks I guess."

There was an uncomfortable silence within the group. Brittany felt humiliated.

"Well," she said, "nice to meet you." Brittany hurried away as she heard Destiny and her friends laughing behind her. She stood next to Jeanette, Simon and Alvin.

Alvin, who had witness the whole thing, said in his cocky voice, "Rule number one of red carpet parties: Don't let people think you're some dorky fan. You're supposed to be a star, remember? If they think you're some no-name they'll walk all over you."

Brittany let out a huffy breath. She hated to admit it, but Alvin had a good point. She just wished he would have mentioned that before.

"Hey Brittany!"

Brittany turned around to see Justin, Milo, and Doug standing behind her. She immediately felt happier after seeing Justin. She gave him a huge hug and they complimented each other on how great they looked.

Alvin rolled his eyes and whispered to Simon, "Why don't they just go off and get married already?"

Simon couldn't help but notice the jealousy in his brother's voice.

Doug and Justin both wore nice suits and looked well-groomed. Milo looked the same as he usually did; long, oily hair under a dirty hat along with jeans and a t-shirt. He was however wearing a dark blue blazer over his shirt. It was the only thing about his attire that suggested that he actually cared about the event.

The band and the chipmunks made some small talk (except for Alvin, who excused himself from the group) for a few minutes until Milo and Doug left.

"He didn't make much of an effort to look presentable," Brittany scoffed, obviously referring to Milo.

Justin shrugged. "He isn't interesting in_ this_ party." Justin gestured toward the ballroom floor.

Brittany wasn't sure what Justin was talking about. "What do you mean_ this_ party? Is there another party or something?"

Justin laughed and said, "Let's just say for every G-rated party there's bound to be a rated-R party nearby."

Brittany still wasn't sure what he meant, but decided not to question it any further. She didn't really care what dirty old Milo did at the party; tonight was all about her.

"Let's dance," Brittany said, pulling Justin toward the dance floor.

Simon and Jeanette looked at each other and shrugged. It was just the two of them now.

"I don't suppose you want to meet some celebrities?" Simon said.

Jeanette gave Simon a little smile. "Not really."

Simon noticed on the other side of the room was a large glass door that led to the outdoors. "It's a warm night," he said. "Would you like to step outside with me? It's probably a lot less stuffy out there."

"I'd like that," Jeanette replied. She wasn't too much of a party person anyway. She'd much rather hang out with Simon.

The party carried along for quite some time. Brittany danced with Justin a lot and as the evening went on, she felt more comfortable mingling with people more famous than her. Dave was right; it was not A-list party. But she did see some people that she recognized, like the girls from that new show on MTV, a few sports stars, and the cute guy on a made-for-TV movie she had recently seen.

Theodore spent much of his time piling delicious foods on his plate at the buffet table. Eleanor ate some of the food (it was too good to pass up) but not quite as much as she would usually eat. Alvin danced with any girl who was content dancing with a Chipmunk (which turned out to be quite a few). Dave recognized a lot of people and spent most of his time talking to them. Simon and Jeanette sat on a large bench outside, not far from the open doors. It was quite private; not many people came outdoors, only to smoke a cigarette or talk on their cell phone. And the weather was perfect; not too hot, not too cold.

After Alvin finished dancing with a pretty brunette girl, he went to get something to drink from the refreshments table. Brittany was standing there, along with Justin and a few people Alvin had never seen before. He was behind Brittany, so she couldn't see him. As he got his drink, he listened in on what they were talking about.

"So there's a little bonus party in room 508," one of the guys said softly, obviously trying to keep his voice down.

"I've heard about it," another guy confirmed. "It sounds pretty wild."

"Bonus party?" Brittany wondered out loud.

Justin nodded. "Yeah. Most of the time during hotel parties there are _real_ parties going on in other parts of the hotel."

"They come in handy when the main party starts to get boring," a thin girl with curly brown hair said. "There are too many adults here, so it's not like we can get away with doing anything fun."

Brittany nodded. So that's what Justin meant by a rated-R party.

The teen who had originally suggested the party looked at Justin and Brittany. "We're going to head up there right now. Are you guys coming?"

Brittany glanced at a large, diamond encrusted clock on the wall. It read 11:45. She knew Dave wouldn't want her going to this party, and she wasn't sure when they'd be leaving; it was almost midnight, so she'd figured they'd be going soon.

"I think we'll pass," Brittany said. "It's getting late and we have a show to do tomorrow."

"It's only a quarter till twelve, Britt," Justin said. "Maybe we could just check it out for a minute or two."

Brittany bit her bottom lip, which tasted her vanilla-strawberry flavored lip gloss. She knew everyone would think she was a loser if she didn't go to the party, and the last thing she wanted was for these cool people to think she was a boring, babyish girl who didn't like wild parties.

"What the hell?" Brittany said with a smile. "Let's go."

Brittany and the small crowd made their way out of the ballroom and into the long hallway.

Alvin's eyebrows raised in amusement. So Little Miss Perfect was going to a hotel room party. Alvin imagined the annoyed look on Brittany's face if Alvin was to show up at the party. Then he had a thought: Why not show up to the party? It might be interesting, with all the alcohol and drugs there (not that Alvin would partake in any of those activities… he was smarter than that). But part of him wanted to go so that he could keep an eye on Brittany. Alvin had been to wild parties before and he knew that plenty of things could go wrong.

As Alvin drank his lemonade (which tasted fantastic) he spotted Dave in deep conversation with some old guy with a thick beard. They were standing on the other side of the large room; a perfect time for Alvin to leave without Dave noticing.

The Chipmunk casually strolled out of the room after he had finished his beverage. After walking down a few hallways, he stepped into an elevator and was about to press the button that would take him to the fifth floor when he heard someone yell, "Wait!"

Alvin looked up and saw about half a dozen men holding large cameras and notepads hurried toward the elevator Alvin was in. "Hold the elevator!"

_Paparazzi!_ Alvin thought. _Maybe they'll interview me and I'll be in a magazine!_ Before the elevator doors shut, Alvin pushed them back open.

When the paparazzi saw Alvin was holding the door, they slowed down and walked toward him.

"Man, I can't wait to get some shots at this party," a large man said while adjusting the flash on his camera.

"Tell me about," another man agreed. "Rising stars at a party with booze and drugs… it's a gold mine."

The overweight guy laughed and said, "One shot of them could be worth a pretty penny. And that shot is totally mine."

"No way," a bald guy said. "I'll be the one getting all the good shots. I've got to finance my divorce!"

The other guys laughed at the joke (at least Alvin assumed it was a joke) as they approached the elevator. It occurred to Alvin that if one of these guys got a picture of Brittany at the party, it could appear in a tabloid and ruin her career, or at least get her into huge trouble with Dave and Miss Miller.

Alvin just couldn't let that happen. Maybe a few months ago he wouldn't have cared about Brittany getting in trouble, but for some reason he didn't want Brittany to get hurt. Plus she'd be kicked out of the show, and he'd be the only one stuck without a partner for some important musical routines.

Alvin had to think fast, something he wasn't very good at. He studied the buttons on the elevator wall. He quickly pressed every button he could so that the paparazzi would have to go through a lot of floors until they got to the fifth. Hopefully that would buy him some time; he had to get Brittany out of there before the cameramen found her.

The men piled into the elevator and Alvin squeezed his way out. "You guys go ahead and take this one," he said. "I forgot my phone."

Alvin watched the elevator doors slowly close. After the door was shut, Alvin ran over to the other elevator which had just opened. Thankfully there was no one in it. He quickly pressed the 5 button and the doors closed.

"Why am I doing this anyway?" Alvin asked himself in the quiet, compressed space. "Brittany treats me like crap. I shouldn't care if she gets caught. Serves her right. But… she has been working really hard on her new routines. And without her, the Chipettes will be nothing."

Meanwhile, as Alvin talked to himself in the elevator, Brittany, Justin, and a small crowd of people were gathered in the corner of the large, crowded hotel room. The room smelled like beer and sweat, and the music was blaring so loud from the huge speakers that it was impossible to speak to anyone without shouting, but Brittany was having a great time.

"You know," an attractive guy named Derek said to her, "you're pretty cute… for a chipmunk, I mean."

Brittany put her hand on her hip. "I'm pretty cute for anyone," she said with a sassy smile.

Derek and his friends laughed. "I can't deny that," he said.

"You're pretty cool, you know that?" a girl named Rachael said, even though Brittany couldn't hear her through the deafening 50 Cent song blaring from the huge speakers.

"What did you say?!" Brittany shouted.

"I said that you're cool!!!" Rachael yelled.

"Oh!" Brittany yelled back. "Thanks!"

Justin wrapped his arm around Brittany's waist and held her closer to him. She felt so happy when she was with Justin. She felt as if she could take on the world.

"I'm going to get us something to drink," Justin said in Brittany's ear. "I'll be right back."

Brittany was about to ask what he was getting them to drink, but Justin was gone before she could say anything. She figured it was something with alcohol in it, since that was the only beverage she had seen anyone drinking since she arrived. But she was totally okay with it, even though she hated beer. She figured it wouldn't hurt her to loosen up a bit more.

"Here Brittany," she heard Derek say. He handed her a joint!

Brittany wasn't sure what to do… drinking was one thing, but marijuana? She wasn't sure she could do this one.

"What's wrong?" a dark haired guy named Paul asked. "Haven't you tried one?"

"Of course," Brittany lied. "I just, uh, was a little surprised that's all."

"Well don't be," Rachael said. "_Everyone_ smokes weed at these parties."

Brittany looked at the expectant faces around her. She'd look like an idiot if she didn't smoke it at least one time. She slowly lifted the joint to her lips but paused when she heard a voice yell, "Brittany! Wait!"

Brittany turned her head and saw a familiar chipmunk pushing his way through the crowd to reach her.

_"Alvin?"_ What was _he_ doing here?

When Alvin reached Brittany, he swatted the joint out of Brittany's hand and grabbed her hand.

"We've got to get out of here," Alvin explained, his eyes wide with worry. Brittany was a little surprised by his expression; she had rarely seen Alvin ever look worried.

"What are you talking about?" Brittany snapped. "I just got here!"

Alvin pulled Brittany toward the door. "No time to explain!" he yelled through the loud music.

"Let me go!" Brittany screamed. She tried to wriggle free of Alvin's grip, but he held on tight. "Alvin! Why are you doing this? LET ME GO!"

Alvin rolled his eyes and ignored her. He dragged her through the big crowd, going as fast as he could, despite the fact that Brittany was resisting.

They finally made it out the door and Alvin began to pull Brittany down the long hallway against her will. Suddenly they heard loud, aggressive footsteps behind them. They turned around and saw the paparazzi Alvin had seen earlier storming into room 508.

"Say cheese!" one of them yelled obnoxiously.

Brittany quickly realized what was happening. She quickly slipped off her pink high heels and began to run with Alvin instead of being pulled by him. They kept running until they got to the end of the hall where there was a little room where the vending machines and ice machines were located.

The two chipmunks panted for a few moments, trying to catch their breath.

"D-do you think they saw us?" Brittany asked, gasping for air.

Alvin shook his head. "I don't think so."

Brittany took a deep breath and eventually felt her heartbeat return to normal.

"So… how did you know that they were coming?" Brittany quietly asked.

Alvin leaned against the vending machine and said, "Yeah. When I was getting in the elevator I heard them talking about busting rising stars at the party. So I pushed a bunch of buttons so they'd take a while and I took the other elevator."

"How did you know I was there?" Brittany asked.

"What is this?" Alvin asked. "Twenty questions?" Brittany didn't say anything. She looked like she really wanted to know how Alvin knew. "I heard you talking by the drink table earlier," Alvin admitted.

Normally Brittany would have been angry about Alvin eavesdropping, but for once she was glad he did. "I guess I owe you a thank you," she said.

"Yeah," Alvin said with a smirk. "I guess you do."

Brittany chose to ignore his snarky reply. "If they got a picture of me and I wound up in a tabloid for being at that party, my career would have been totally ruined." She looked Alvin in the eyes. "Thank you." The thank you was sincere too. She was extremely thankful for Alvin at that moment. He saved her from a life-destroying event.

Alvin looked into Brittany's eyes back for a split second, but quickly turned away, feeling a little awkward. "You're welcome."

The two remained silent for a minute. The only sound in the brightly lit room was the gently hum of the machines.

A high pitched chime pierced the silence. Brittany unzipped her purse and pulled out her cell phone. She had a text from Justin: _Where r u???_

Alvin didn't bother asking who it was. He knew it was that airhead boy-toy of hers.

Brittany quickly texted back: _Not feeling well had to leave. Sry. Call u 2morrow. XOXO. _

"We should probably go back to the party downstairs," Brittany said.

"Right," Alvin said. "Dave would kill me if he knew I went to that stupid party, even if it was just to get you out of there."

The two walked into the nearby elevator in silence. But something was bothering Alvin.

"So Brittany," he said. "I'm curious… did you smoke that joint you were holding?"

Brittany considered lying and telling Alvin she did smoke it just to boast that she had done something that he hadn't. But she was so grateful toward him that she decided he deserved her honesty. "No. I just held it for a minute."

"Good," Alvin said. For some reason he would feel uncomfortable if he knew Brittany had smoked marijuana. Just the thought of someone he had known since they were a little kid trying weed bothered him.

As Alvin and Brittany made their way downstairs, the party was winding down. The crowd was thinning and hotel staff gradually started bringing in large trash bags, ready to clean up the ballroom.

Simon and Jeanette were sitting on a cool, marble bench outside by a large water fountain. They had been outdoors the whole evening, talking and joking. They weren't too far away from the doorway, so they could clearly hear the music playing from inside; whenever they heard a song they both recognized, they would sing together for fun. Usually Simon would feel foolish singing along to a song while he wasn't rehearsing or in a concert, but he felt comfortable goofing around with Jeanette.

Jeanette peeked in the room and noticed that there were only about fifty people still there. "The party must almost be over. There aren't that many people left."

Simon held his digital watch toward a lamp post. It was well past midnight and Simon knew that Dave would want them to get plenty of sleep for the show tomorrow.

"I guess we should be heading in," he said, feeling a wave of disappointment. He didn't want his wonderful time with Jeanette to end.

"I guess so," Jeanette agreed reluctantly. She looked down at her purple-painted toenails peeking through her open-toed wedges and sighed. She was having so much fun with Simon.

Even though they both agreed that they should leave, they didn't budge.

"You know," Simon said, "I didn't think I'd have as much fun at this party at I did."

Jeanette laughed and said, "Me too, even though we are being pretty anti-social sitting out here all night."

Simon shrugged. "I don't think anyone missed us," he said.

The pair was quiet for a moment, listening to an upbeat dance song come to a close. Then a new song started up. Jeanette recognized the soft music immediately.

"Oh!" she blurted. "I love this song!"

Simon listened carefully to the song, trying to figure out what it was. He realized it was _I'll Be_ by Edwin McCain. He'd always thought the lyrics were a little cheesy, but he had to admit it was a gorgeous song.

"Would you like to dance?" Simon asked, surprising himself.

Jeanette looked at him and blinked rapidly, taken aback at what he had suggested.

"We can hear the music perfectly," Simon pointed out. "And we've been sitting all night. Maybe we should… get some exercise?" Simon knew he sounded ridiculous but he was nervous.

"Um, sure," Jeanette said, her heart pounding. "I'll dance with you."

They stood up and Jeanette awkwardly put her hands on Simon's shoulders as he held her waist.

At first it was obvious they were uncomfortable, but by the first chorus they relaxed. They gently swayed to the music, both smiling. Simon even dipped Jeanette down, making her giggle. She stepped on Simon's foot twice, but he just laughed about it and brushed it off, making her feel a lot less dorky about having two left feet.

_"I'll be you're crying shoulder."_

_"I'll be love suicide."_

_"I'll be better when I'm older."_

_"I'll be the greatest fan of your life."_

As the music slowed down, so did their dancing. Simon looked into Jeanette's teal colored eyes that he could clearly see even in the dim light. She looked stunning.

The music faded and the two slowly came to a stop. They still held on to one another, just looking into each other's eyes.

"I feel a little dizzy," Jeanette said in a quiet, raspy voice. "Maybe we should stop."

"We have stopped," Simon said, not taking his eyes off her.

"Oh."

Simon realized at that moment that Jeanette was no longer just his lab partner who he could make historical jokes with that no one else would understand. He realized she wasn't just the lanky, clumsy girl who lived in the house next door. She was much more than that.

He realized that he was falling for Jeanette Miller.

Simon wanted to kiss her. He knew it would be the perfect time. He gradually leaned forward but stopped. What if Jeanette didn't want to be kissed? What if she didn't feel the same way he felt about her? She would push him away and he would feel like a fool.

"We should go inside," Simon said softly. He gently backed away, breaking their hold.

Jeanette's heart was beating at an alarming rate and she felt light headed. For a moment, she thought for sure that Simon would kiss her. She would have let him; she wanted him to.

All Jeanette could do was nod at Simon's suggestion. She wasn't sure whether to feel joyful that she and Simon just danced to a beautiful romantic song or disappointed that it didn't go any further than dancing.

"There you two are!"

Simon and Jeanette turned to the opened doors. Dave was standing there.

"It's time to go kids," Dave said. He looked around the beautifully landscaped outdoors. "Were you two out here all night?"

"Yes," Simon said. "We had a good time."

Dave smiled. "Well I'm glad you had fun. Let's go get the others and head back to our hotel."

Simon and Jeanette followed Dave inside. They looked at each other at the same time and smiled shyly. They didn't know what to say to one another, but they both wondered the same thing: _Does he/she like me back?_

A/N: Yay, you made it through the whole thing! Told ya it was long! I just wanted to say that I didn't come up with the part when Alvin rescues Brittany on my own. There was a very similar plot about that on the TV show _Make it or Break it _(great show by the way, check it out on ABC family sometime!)_,_ so I borrowed it from that show. Everything else I thought up on my own. Anyway, I hope you all liked it!


	8. Chapter 8: Alvin's Great Idea part 1

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any characters or music used in this story.

**Author's Note: **Originally this chapter was going to be longer, but I cut it in two parts because even though I liked the last chapter I did, I thought it was way too long and I don't want to bore everyone too badly. So the second part of this chapter will be out soon; I still think I'm writing at a snail's pace, but I like lots of details!

* * *

**Saturday June 15**

**8:46 am**

"Simon! Can I get your autograph?"

"Jeanette, pose in a picture with me!"

"Can I interview you guys for my school newspaper?"

Alvin stood in the hotel lobby with a scowl on his face. The group was headed toward the coliseum where they would be performing that night when they were stopped by a mob of preteens. Despite the early time, the kids were armed with disposable cameras and autograph books.

Usually Alvin would be fine with all this attention; except for the fact that the attention wasn't on him. All the fans seemed to care about was Simon and Jeanette. They hardly even noticed the other four group members.

_It's all because of that stupid duet,_ he thought bitterly.

Normally Brittany would have been jealous of her more awkward sister, but she didn't really mind not getting as much attention. Brittany was too busy thinking about the party last night. She had actually been to a red carpet event and impressed good-looking, wealthy teenagers with her charm. Even though she had to leave the "R-rated party" early, she was okay with it. At least she got to see what it was about.

Simon and Jeanette found themselves being pushed together for pictures. They smiled for the cameras, but behind the smiles were intense feelings of discomfort. They hadn't spoken to each other since the party the night before. Simon didn't know what to say to Jeanette, and Jeanette didn't know what to say to Simon. Neither of them had been in this situation before.

Eventually the kids made it onto the RV and headed toward their destination.

The ride was eerily quiet. Everyone was exhausted from the party, too tired to make conversation. They all settled into deep thoughts.

Alvin couldn't get over the fact that Simon was more famous than him. It just didn't make sense. Alvin knew he had to do something that would make him stand out, but what? Then he had an idea; he could sing a duet with Brittany! He knew Dave wouldn't let him sing onstage by himself, but he'd probably be okay if Brittany sang with him. Of course Brittany would only get a small part so that the number would focus more on him, but Dave wouldn't mind as long as it was a duet. Alvin leaned back on the couch he was sitting on and grinned. This was brilliant.

Soon the large vehicle came to a stop. Everyone climbed down the stairs, except Alvin.

"Dave, I need to talk to you," he said.

"Sure son," Dave said. "What is it?"

"Well," Alvin began, "I have an idea about tonight's show."

Alvin gave his son a suspicious look. "Uh huh…" he said, waiting for Alvin to go on.

"I was thinking that, instead of the _Crocodile Rock_ number, Brittany and I could do something else," Alvin said, trying to sound cheerful so he could sell the idea to Dave. "Like maybe a duet."

Dave shook his head. "I'm sorry, but the musical numbers for tonight have been set. We can't change them now. And you wouldn't have enough time to rehearse…"

"Yes we do!" Alvin insisted. "We have _hours!"_

Dave sighed. "Does Brittany even know about this?"

Alvin rolled his eyes. "Of _course_ she knows," he lied. "And Simon and Jeanette didn't much time to practice and they did fine!"

"Alvin," Bob said, trying to maintain his patience. "You and Brittany already have a musical number."

"But it's not a duet," Alvin pointed out. "We need to, um, show Brittany's talent! All she does during _Crocodile Rock_ is dance around."

Dave raised an eyebrow. "Is this really about Brittany? Or is it about _you_, Alvin?"

Alvin tried to steer away from the question. "Okay, well what if we do the same thing we do now… you know, I sing and Brittany dances… except we change the song. We could make it edgier." Upon hearing himself say this, Alvin actually really liked that idea. Maybe if they just changed the song and made it cooler, they'd still be a hit and he wouldn't have to sing _with _Brittany. He could just sing _to _her, like he did now. It would let him have more of the spotlight.

"The answer is no, Alvin," Dave said firmly. "Maybe after tonight we can discuss this further. But tonight you and Brittany are doing the Crocodile Rock routine just like you have been. Understand?"

Alvin frowned. "You let _Simon_ sing a duet."

Dave groaned and ran a hand through his dark hair. "Alvin, I'm going to say this one more time: No duet. No new routine. Got it?"

"But I…"

"Alvin!" Dave raised his voice, clearly frustrated. "Enough."

Dave exited the RV, but Alvin remained, frozen in place. Dave hardly ever told him "no" when it came to performing. Why wouldn't he let him do something else? Was he trying to hold Alvin back and let Simon become the star of the show?

"We'll see about that," Alvin said, a wave of determination going through his body. He went to the back room and grabbed Simon's laptop to look for ideas about his new musical number. He was going to do it with or without Dave's permission, no matter what.

***

**Backstage**

**11:28 am **

Brittany gave a few firm knocks on the band's dressing room. She hadn't been in touch with Justin since she texted him after the party making up a lame excuse for her leaving early. He hadn't texted her back; she hoped he wasn't mad at her for ditching him.

Justin opened the door and smiled when he saw Brittany. Her heart skipped a beat; he was so gorgeous, so sweet, so… _perfect_.

"Hey," he greeted her. "Are you feeling better?"

"Um, yeah," Brittany said. The question caught her off guard. She forgot he thought she had felt sick last night. "I think I was a little overwhelmed by the stuffy room. You know, it was kind of hot and smelly in there and I just felt really sick so I left." She looked up at him, hoping he couldn't tell she was lying. "I'm really sorry I bailed on you like that. I didn't want to puke in front of everyone though."

Justin's smile never left his face. "Don't worry about it. I understand you didn't feel well. And anyway, it was a good thing you left when you did. When I came back with our drinks, the paparazzi burst into the room and took pictures."

"Oh my God," Brittany gasped, trying to sound surprised. "Really?"

"Yeah," Justin said, nodding. He stepped into his room and picked up a tabloid that was laying on a vanity. He handed the tabloid to Brittany, whose jaw dropped when she saw the cover.

Big, bold letters read RISING YOUNG STARS CAUGHT AT WILD HOTEL PARTY. Under the heading was a caption that read _Upcoming teen sensations spotted at party with alcohol, drugs, and sex._ The words surrounded a large picture of Rachael and Derek, two people Brittany had been hanging out with at the party. Thanks to the bright flash from the camera, their skin looked pale and caused major red-eye. With their super light complexion and startled expressions they looked like ghosts. To make matters worse, Rachael was holding a cigarette and Derek was holding a beer.

_That could have been me,_ Brittany thought.

"You didn't get caught, did you?" she asked.

Justin shook his head. "I hid in a closet with Milo and a few others."

Brittany raised an eyebrow. "I don't remember seeing Milo there."

Justin laughed. "I didn't know he was there either. He claims that he was in the bathroom most of the night doing shots and making out with Destiny Walters."

Brittany laughed as Justin rolled his eyes. She flipped through the thin pages of the tabloid and saw a photo of Destiny. BAD GIRL FROM THE BAY read the caption next to her. Destiny's dark hair was a mess and her eyes looked glassy and vacant. It was a horrible picture.

_Serves her right,_ Brittany thought with a grin, remembering how rude the reality star had been to her the night before.

Suddenly Brittany felt her cell phone chime from the pocket of her shorts. She flipped open the phone and read her new text message. She rolled her eyes when she saw it was from Alvin: _Where r u?_

_Busy,_ Brittany quickly texted back.

"Who is it?" Justin asked, sensing Brittany's annoyance.

"Nobody important," Brittany said snapping her phone shut. Seconds later, it rang again.

She opened up her latest text, which was from Alvin again: _I need to talk to you ASAP. _

_Can't it wait? _Brittany responded.

"Sorry," Brittany mumbled to Justin. "Anyway, what are you planning on doing this afternoon?"

Justin shrugged. "I don't have anything planned. We've already rehearsed."

Brittany's face brightened. Maybe she'd finally get some alone time with Justin today!

Her phone chimed _again_. Sighing, she opened it up. Of course, it was from Alvin: _No, it can't wait. I need to talk to u NOW. _

"I gotta go," Brittany said sadly, finally surrendering to Alvin's annoyingness. "I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Sounds good to me," Justin said, giving her a sexy smile that made her melt.

Justin closed the door and Brittany walked down the hall, trying to find Alvin so she could get whatever he wanted to talk to her about over with.

She heard quick, loud footsteps behind her. She turned to see Alvin hurrying toward her, his eyes full of excitement.

"Brittany!" Alvin stopped when he reached her, clearly out of breath. "I've been… looking… all… over for you," he panted.

"What do you want?" Brittany asked in a bored tone.

After Alvin's breathing returned to normal, he told Brittany about his idea for a new song to replace _Crocodile Rock_.

"I don't think so," Brittany said firmly, folding her arms across her chest. "Our routine is fine how it is. Besides, we wouldn't have enough time to rehearse."

If Alvin was upset at her rejection of his idea, he certainly didn't show it. Instead he gave her a pleasant smile and said in a condescending voice, "Now Brittany, is that any way to be talking to the guy who saved your career last night?"

Brittany let out a huffy breath. Of course Alvin couldn't just do something nice for her and not expect anything back in return; he wasn't thoughtful enough to do that.

"Real nice, Alvin," Brittany said, narrowing her blue eyes.

"You don't even know the song I picked out," Alvin said.

"It doesn't matter what song you picked out," Brittany replied, "because we're not doing a new song."

Alvin looked her in the eyes. "If you agree to this, I won't bring up the party thing anymore." He paused and smirked. "And face it Brittany, you owe me. Big time."

Brittany sighed, knowing Alvin had her right where he wanted her. She _hated_ when that happened.

"What song do you have in mind?" Brittany asked, disappointed in herself for letting Alvin have his way.

"_Dirty Diana_," Alvin said with a satisfied smile.

Brittany gave him a puzzled look. "Excuse me?"

Alvin pulled his iPod out of his pocket and quickly scrolled to a song. He handed the small device to Brittany and told her to press play.

Right away, Brittany recognized the song; it was by Michael Jackson, arguably Alvin's favorite musician of all time. She liked the song a lot, but noticed the suggestive lyrics.

When the song ended, Brittany handed the iPod to Alvin.

"So Dave is okay with us doing this song?" Brittany asked him, even though she was pretty sure she knew the answer to that question.

"Yeah," Alvin said nonchalantly, putting his iPod away. "Why wouldn't he be?"

Brittany looked as Alvin as if he were crazy. "In case you haven't noticed, the song is all about sex."

"So?"

"So…" Brittany began, not believing how dumb Alvin was being. "Don't you think this is a little… _risqué _for our show?"

"Are you kidding?" Alvin asked her in disbelief. "I think it'll rock and be amazing. I just talked to the special effects guys and we've got the whole number planned."

Brittany stared at Alvin, unconvinced that Dave had given him the green light to perform the song that night.

"It's not a danceable song," Brittany pointed out, slightly changing the subject. She knew the sexual content of the song wouldn't change Alvin's mind. "How am I supposed to dance to it?"

Alvin sighed, impatient with Brittany's arguing. "Watch the music video online. It's just a lot of hair flipping."

"That'll look stupid," Brittany said automatically.

"No," Alvin said slowly. "It will look hot if you do it right." Alvin leaned closer. "And by the way, if you think your little red dress from _Crocodile Rock_ looks good, wait till you see your _Diana_ outfit."

Brittany tilted her head and considered this. Being onstage in a brand new, gorgeous dress excited her. Maybe it would be fun to do something different.

"Okay," Brittany officially agreed. "We need to start rehearsing now though if we're going to perform it by tonight. We don't have much time."

Alvin smiled again. Brittany was starting to get really annoyed with that cocky grin he kept flashing her. "Great," he said. "I'll meet you on the stage in a half hour."

"We don't have that much time!" Brittany repeated. "We need to start _now_."

Alvin started taking off in the opposite direction. "There's something I need to take care of first."

"What's that?" Brittany asked, wishing that Alvin had never come up with this "genius" idea.

"You'll see!" Alvin replied, hurrying around a corner.

***

**The Chipmunks dressing room**

**11:50 am**

Simon closed his eyes and leaned back on the couch. He was still exhausted from the night before. He had been up all night, tossing and turning in his bed while his brothers slept soundly near him. Simon couldn't stop thinking about Jeanette. Should he had just taken the risk and kissed her when he had the chance? Did she think it was weird that he almost kissed her? Did she even _notice_ that he almost kissed her?

But as Simon laid by himself in the quiet dressing room, he tried his hardest not to think about the shy Chipette. Jeanette said she was fine if they skipped rehearsing their duet today, so Simon had the rest of the afternoon to relax. He desperately needed sleep.

Simon yawned and settled into a comfortable position, looking forward to getting some rest. It had been the first time in weeks that he was alone in a quiet room, and it put him at ease.

Just as Simon was starting to dose off, the dressing room door opened with a loud whoosh.

Simon opened his eyes and saw Alvin bursting into the room.

"Simon!" his brother exclaimed, piercing the room's silence. "Just the guy I wanted to see!"

_God hates me,_ Simon thought, staring at the ceiling.

"What do you want?" Simon asked his brother, dreading his answer. His ears rang with Alvin's loud voice echoing in his mind.

"Hi guys," a voice said from the doorway. Theodore strolled in the small room, munching loudly on an apple.

Simon groaned. With his two talkative brothers in the room, he'd never get any rest. And to make matters worse, Alvin obviously needed a "little favor" which would probably take up the rest of Simon's afternoon.

"I need a little favor." Alvin smiled sweetly at his brother.

_I knew it,_ Simon thought. "It_ better_ be something little," he said through clenched teeth.

Theodore sat on a vanity chair and took another noisy bite of apple. Simon flinched. How could two people be so loud?

Alvin went into a quick explanation about how he and Brittany were performing to _Dirty Diana_ that night.

"Dave will never let you do that song," Simon pointed out.

"What's it about?" Theodore wondered, his mouth full of McIntosh apple.

"It's about a slutty girl who seduces famous musicians," Simon explained.

"Oh." Theodore chuckled. He had never heard Simon use the word "slutty" before.

Alvin cleared his throat, reminding his brothers this was about him. And right now, he desperately needed Simon's help with the _Dirty Diana_ routine. Originally, Alvin wanted Simon to have nothing to do with his new performance. But after watching the _Dirty Diana_ music video a few times, Alvin knew he needed a guitar player for the song. The guitar riffs were so intense, so important to the song. He knew the performance would be amazing if they had a live electric guitar player.

The guitar player in the video was female, but Alvin didn't want to use Jeanette or Eleanor for the part since they didn't know much about guitar playing. He _definitely_ didn't want to use one of the lame band members in his number. So Simon was his last hope.

"Do you know the guitar parts to _Dirty Diana_?" Alvin asked his brother.

Simon adjusted his glasses. "I'm vaguely familiar with them. Why?"

"Would you play guitar in our performance tonight?" Alvin asked, his blue eyes wide with desperation. "Please?"

Simon frowned. "No, Alvin. We wouldn't have time to rehearse and Dave isn't going to let you do the song anyway…"

"Who says Dave has to know about it?" Alvin asked. Simon opened his mouth to speak but Alvin cut him off. "After Dave sees how much the crowd loves the performance, he'll be _begging_ us to do it every night!"

Simon groaned. His brother was always so out of touch with reality.

"If we get in trouble," Alvin began, "I'll tell Dave that you thought he was okay with the idea."

The blue clad chipmunk sighed. Dave knew Simon would be too smart to fall for that. But for some reason Alvin really wanted this performance to happen, and he had the feeling Alvin had put a lot of energy into the project. Simon always respected hard work, and he didn't want his usually work-hating brother's efforts to go to waste.

"Fine," Simon reluctantly agreed. "I'll do it."

"Great." Alvin beamed. "We'll start our first rehearsal in twenty minutes."

"Twenty minutes?" Simon exclaimed as Alvin hurried toward the door. "Alvin, how am I supposed to learn a song on guitar in twenty minutes?"

Alvin looked back at him and shrugged. "I don't know," he said. "You're a genius. You'll figure it out." And with that, Alvin quickly slipped out the door.

Simon stared at the door for a few moments, wondering why he had agreed to the stupid idea in the first place. No good come come from this; even if the audience loved the performance (and Simon was sure they wouldn't), he would get in so much trouble with Dave. Simon always hated doing things behind Dave's back. But his brother really thought this thing was going to work, and since he had already agreed to it, Simon knew he couldn't let Alvin down.

Before he could talk himself out of it, Simon got up from the comfortable couch and headed toward the door.

"Where're you going?" Theodore asked.

"To learn a guitar riff in twenty minutes," Simon deadpanned. He walked out of the room and headed for the RV to get his laptop.

As he made his way toward the parking lot, the same thought entered Simon's mind over and over: _Why can't I just say No?_

Oh well. At least this last-minute gig managed to take his mind off of Jeanette for a few minutes, and for that, he was grateful.

_To Be Continued..._

* * *

**A/N: Please review! And (get ready for an advertisement) I'd appreciate if you'd check out my latest story **_**You Belong With Me.**_** I think a lot of people are skipping over it because it's an Alvinor… but please, give it a chance even if you aren't a mixed couples fan!**


	9. Chapter 9: Alvin's Great Idea part 2

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any songs or characters used in this story

**Author's Note: **Sorry this took a while to update, I've been busy. And I wrote most of this at like 1 am so the writing is a little sloppy. I listened to _Dirty Diana_ the whole time I wrote this chapter, for inspiration. I usually hate when songs are in stories, but I wanted to do something intense and cool. And I love the guitar parts, they sound so cool! If you haven't heard Michael Jackson's _Dirty Diana_ song, I highly recommend it. It might help you get into this chapter a little more (plus it's just an awesome song!). Read and Review!

* * *

**12:06 pm**

**The Stage**

Brittany sat on the empty spacious stage, her legs dangling off the edge. She studied her fingernails, which were still painted hot pink from the night before.

_Where is he?_ Brittany wondered. She was still waiting on Alvin, the one who told her to be here on time, the one who came up with this stupid idea in the first place.

Brittany heard footsteps behind her. She turned around and expected to see Alvin; but instead she saw his taller brother carrying an electric guitar.

"What are _you _doing here?" Brittany asked Simon.

Simon sat beside her. "Alvin didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

Simon held up the guitar. "He asked me to play the guitar parts for the song."

Brittany's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "_Why?"_

Simon shrugged and said, "I don't know why he wants me to…"

"No," Brittany interrupted, shaking her head. "I mean, why would you agree to it in the first place?"

The intelligent chipmunk looked at her and grinned. "The same reason you agreed to it. Alvin has a knack for convincing people to do what he wants."

Not wanting to admit Simon was right, Brittany folded her arms across her chest and stared ahead. She looked up and noticed people in the sound booth. Then she heard more footsteps behind her.

"It's about time," she growled at Alvin.

"Sorry," Alvin said briskly. "I had some last minute things to take care of with the wardrobe people."

Simon rolled his blue eyes to the ceiling. "After all the people you've told, you honestly think Dave won't find out about this?"

"Of course not," Alvin assured. "As long as everyone keeps their mouths shut."

Brittany's ears perked up at this.

"You told me Dave was fine with the idea," she said to Alvin.

Alvin laughed nervously. "So I stretched the truth a little," he admitted. "Think of it as _surprising _Dave."

Brittany rolled her eyes, amazed how deluded Alvin was.

"Relax, we'll be fine," Alvin said confidently. He turned to Simon. "Are you ready to start, Simon?"

"No," Simon said flatly, glaring at him.

"Good!" Alvin chirped, ignoring his brother's sarcasm. He turned to the Chipette next to him and noticed her hair was neatly pulled back. "You won't need this," he said, yanking out the elastic band that was holding her hair in its ponytail.

"Ow!" Brittany cried. She snatched her hair tie back from him. "What the hell, Alvin?"

Alvin sighed, adjusting the microphone on his headset. "Brittany, you need your hair to be loose for this song. Remember what I said about hair flipping?"

"Whatever." Brittany ran her hands through her now-messy mane.

Alvin pointed to the guys in the sound booth, signaling them to play the song.

Simon strummed the guitar loudly to open the song, like he was supposed to.

"I _still _don't know what I'm supposed to do!" Brittany yelled over the loud music.

Alvin replied, "Improvise! Just follow your instinct." He smirked at her. "Remember, you're Dirty Diana."

Before Brittany could say anything else, Alvin began to sing.

_"You'll never make me stay, so take your weight off of me._

_I know your every move, so won't you just let me be?"_

Brittany stood there, still unsure of what to do. Alvin, who continued to sing, widened his eyes and impatiently gestured for her to start doing something. She replayed Alvin's words in her mind:_ "Improvise. Just follow your instinct. Remember, you're Dirty Diana." _

Brittany took a deep breath. _You aren't Brittany Miller right now, _Brittany told herself._ You're Diana._

_"She's sayin' that's okay,_

_Hey baby do what you please,_

_I have the stuff that you want_

_I am the thing that you need."_

The music finally got to Brittany and she officially embodied the character. As Alvin sang, she walked seductively over to him, grabbed him by the shoulders, and dipped her head back.

_"She says, There's no turning back_

_She trapped me in her heart!"_

Simon let out the loud guitar riff, right before the chorus. Brittany flipped her head up, letting her long hair fall into her face.

_"Dirty Diana, no…"_

Brittany forgot that she couldn't stand Alvin. She forgot that he was making her perform the routine against her will. She forgot that she had no idea if what she was doing looked good or not. All Brittany could think about was being this character Diana. And Diana wanted Alvin, even if Brittany didn't. So she focused on him like he was the only person in the world who mattered, and Alvin did the same to her.

As the song continued, Brittany's dance moves got bolder. She and Alvin were practically grinding on each other by the third verse.

Simon, who they seemed to forget about, felt awkward watching his brother dance so promiscuously with a girl they had known since they were little kids. It was also a bit surprising; by the way they were dancing together, it would appear to a stranger that Alvin and Brittany were actually attracted to each other. But he had to admit the dance fit the music perfectly. He knew that Alvin's prediction about the routine would probably be correct… the audience would love it. Obviously Dave would hate it, but it was clear that Alvin wasn't doing this for Dave's approval.

And Simon was actually enjoying his guitar parts. He found himself putting a lot of feeling and energy in it, and he was satisfied that he was hitting every note perfectly. He had never played an instrument with such power and confidence.

The last chorus ended, and Alvin and Brittany swung their hips and heads to the throbbing bass. Alvin shouted out the chorus and the song started coming to a close. Finally Simon gave the guitar a few aggressive strums, signaling the song's end. When he did that, Alvin pulled Brittany close to him.

The echo of the guitar rang in their ears as they stayed in that position; Alvin's hands rested on Brittany's hips and her arms were around his torso. They stared at one another, breathing hard, their eyes glazed over with exhaustion. The hot lights and physical activity had made both of them sweat and feel light headed.

Then they heard Simon set his guitar down on the stage, snapping them out of their daze.

Brittany shook her head a few times, trying to think straight. No longer was she the vixen Diana… she was back to being Brittany Miller, and she was back to hating Alvin.

She pushed Alvin off of her and looked away.

"That went well," Alvin said, wiping sweat off his forehead.

Brittany nodded, still trying to catch her breath.

"You were good," Alvin said to her. He gave her a playful smile. "I couldn't help but notice how realistic you were as Diana."

The Chipette rolled her eyes. "I was acting," she reminded him. "And I'll have to be a damn good actress tonight to convince people I like you."

Alvin snorted. Maybe Brittany was just "acting," but he was pretty sure it was impossible for her not to feel a connection to him when they were all over each other during the song. He had certainly felt something with her… he wasn't sure what exactly, but it was something.

"So," Simon broke the brief moment of silence. "How long is this going to take?"

"Huh?" Alvin turned to his brother, forgetting he was even in the room.

"This rehearsal," Simon said. "I know you wanted to meet us here at this time because it's Dave's lunch break. I'm assuming you'll want to finish up before he comes back."

"Right, right," Alvin said. "Okay, I'll tell you guys some of the special effects I have planned for this…"

Alvin, Simon, and Brittany practiced the song for another hour. Each time they performed it with the same passion and intensity as the first time. It was almost as if the song hypnotized them, making them forget who they were, convincing them to do things that were usually out of their usual comfort zone (Simon even dropped to his knees while playing the guitar a few times, something he had never even considered doing before).

When Alvin declared the rehearsal over, he quickly left, claiming he had to talk to some guys about the special effects again.

Simon walked over to Brittany. "Do you think it'll turn out okay?" he asked, referring to the new act.

Brittany, cheeks flushed from just finishing the song again, shrugged. "I don't know. It should."

"You know," Simon said, "Alvin has a point about how, um, realistic you were being."

Brittany looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Meaning…?"

Simon cleared his throat. "Well it's just that you seemed like you _really_ liked Alvin."

Brittany narrowed her eyes. "Why does everyone always imply that I like Alvin?" she demanded. "I don't have any feelings for him whatsoever! It's just _acting_! The performance won't work unless we act like we like each other! The key word here is _act_, Simon! Got it?"

When Simon didn't answer, Brittany threw her hands in the air and yelled, "You're just as bad as Eleanor and Jeanette!"

_Jeanette._ Brittany had said the magic word.

As Brittany walked away in anger, the events from the night before immediately entered Simon's thoughts. He had forgotten about Jeanette for the last hour, but now she was as present in his mind as ever.

"Great," Simon groaned. He left the stage feeling more stressed than before.

***

**8:50 pm**

**Backstage**

Alvin hurried backstage as soon as he and his brothers finished singing their song.

"Hurry up, Simon!" Alvin said, pulling his brother in their dressing room. He didn't see Dave anywhere. He figured he was busy running around backstage, just making sure everything was working right.

Simon had forgotten that he was going to be in Alvin and Brittany's act. He rolled his eyes. He wasn't really in the mood for a quick costume change.

Brittany emerged from her dressing room at that moment. Her sisters, expecting to see her in her red dress for _Crocodile Rock_, gasped when they saw her.

She was wearing a thigh-skimming black dress under a leather jacket with knee-high black boots. Her make-up was dark and exaggerated, fingernails painted black, ears studded with silver earrings (most of which were clip-ons), and her hair was poofed to 80's perfection.

The Chipette caught her reflection in the mirror. She hardly recognized herself… the big hair, the red lipstick, the shiny black boots… it was so _un-_Brittany.

_I look like a hooker,_ Brittany thought, angry at Alvin for making her look so ridiculous.

"Brittany," Eleanor said slowly. "Why are you dressed like that?"

Brittany had forgotten that she hadn't told her sisters about _Dirty Diana_.

"There was a change in the performance," Brittany admitted. "And it was all Alvin's idea. Do you honestly think I'd voluntarily wear something this trashy?"

"Of course not," Jeanette said, shaking her head. "We never said you did."

Before Brittany could say anything else, she saw Alvin running out of his dressing room. He was dressed in a simple white shirt and black pants. He stopped when he saw her and smiled as he looked her up and down.

"I'm a genius," he said, observing his costume design.

"Yeah," Brittany said, narrowing her eyes and putting her hands on her narrow hips. "If you specialize in 80's prostitute looks, I'd say you've nailed it."

Alvin smirked. "You look good and you know it. Now let's get out there before Dave catches us in these clothes."

Alvin ran off in the opposite direction of the stage, which Brittany found odd. But she thought something else was even weirder… Alvin had just said she looked good. Alvin had never complimented her on her looks before.

_He's not thinking straight with all the excitement,_ Brittany convinced herself, as she took one more glance in the mirror. She was no longer pretty, pastel-wearing Brittany Miller. She was sexy, sultry Diana. And despite the crazy big bangs and the black leather jacket, Brittany was starting to get used to her new look. Her make-up was dark and wild, but it fit the exaggerated 80s look they were going for. She liked how the tight dress hugged her body in all the right places. And the high heels on the books made her look legs look longer. Brittany grinned and stood up a little straighter. Alvin was right. She _did_ look good.

Brittany stood at the edge of the stage, not quite sure where Alvin had gone. Suddenly, the lights went out. The audience gasped at the sudden darkness, not sure what was going on. They grew quiet, wondering why the happy piano music from _Crocodile Rock_ wasn't playing.

Then a spotlight came onstage, creating a silhouette of someone with their back turned to the audience holding a guitar. The person gave the guitar a loud strum, and fog began to surround the stage. The guitarist slowly turned around, and Simon was revealed to the audience. To Brittany's surprise, there were only a few cheers; the crowd seemed too focused on what was happening to care that a fan-favorite was onstage.

Brittany saw a trap door in the middle of the stage open. As the background music began to play, Alvin slowly rose out of the bottom of the stage, the blue-tinted fog surrounding him._ That_ made the audience go crazy, as they realized they were in for a real treat.

Then Alvin began to sing. He looked off stage, toward Brittany, and motioned her to come toward him.

_Kiss Brittany good-bye,_ Brittany told herself. _You're Diana now._

Brittany strutted toward Alvin, coming into the crowd's view. She almost smiled when she heard the cheers get louder as she made her appearance, but she was determined to remain in-character. And the only thing her character wanted was Alvin Seville.

Theodore, Jeanette, and Eleanor watched from the side-stage as the performance went on. By the end of the first chorus, they were so mesmerized by Alvin and Brittany's electrifying onstage chemistry that they all jumped when they heard an irritated voice behind them demand, "What's going on?"

They turned to see Dave, a mixture of anger and confusion on his face. "What are they doing?" he asked in horror.

"Don't worry, Dave," Theodore said with a reassuring grin. "Alvin says the audience will love it so much, you won't want to pull it from the show."

Dave ran his hand through his dark hair. "I have to stop this," he muttered. "If they're dancing like that _now_, I can only imagine how inappropriate this will get by the end!" Dave hurried off, leaving Theodore, Jeanette, and Eleanor to watch some more of the performance.

_"Let me be!" _Alvin yelled into his headset as Brittany dipped her head back and came back up, her heavily hair-sprayed mane flipping around all over the place.

_"She likes the boys in the band_

_She knows when they come to town._

_Every musician's fan_

_After the curtain comes down."_

Jeanette cringed at those lines. She wondered how many of the fans understood that innuendo. But if they did, they didn't seem too upset about it. The crowd was on their feet, hooked on the routine. Alvin was even throwing in some Michael Jackson dance moves, which made their fans cheer in awe every time.

The hot lights combined with the heavy black leather jacket were making Brittany sweat like crazy. She slowly unzipped her jacket.

_"She's sayin', that's okay,_

_Hey baby do what you want!_

_I'll be your night lovin' thing,_

_I'll be the freak you can taunt!"_

At the word "freak" Brittany took off her jacket and threw it into the crowd. Brittany would normally never do something like that; she knew the jacket had to be expensive, and she wouldn't just throw it out to random audience members. But she wasn't Brittany, she was Diana, and Diana didn't care about how expensive the dumb jacket was.

"_I don't care what you say_

_I want to go too far!"_

Brittany threw her arms around Alvin.

"_I'll be your everything_

_IF YOU MAKE ME A STAR!"_

At the climax of the verse, the lights rapidly flashed from blue to red, making the crowd burst into applause. Simon's guitar riff just added to the intensity of the song.

"_Dirty Diana, no…_

_Dirty Diana, no…"_

During the chorus, Alvin and Brittany were thrusting their hips to the powerful music, oblivious to whether it looked good or not. They were both relying heavily on their instinct. They weren't worried about what they _thought _might look good, they were just doing what they felt.

"_LET ME BE!"_ Alvin screamed, signaling the last verse to begin.

The music got softer again, as it always did before a new verse started. Alvin and Brittany got closer and looked at each other intensely.

"_She said I have to go home_

'_Cause I'm real tired you see. _

_But I hate sleeping alone_

_Why don't you come with me?'"_

Alvin continued to sing, but he had to admit it was difficult to focus the way Brittany was all over him. Between the sexy, pouty-lipped expressions and wildly seductive dance moves, he kept noticing how amazing she looked and liked the fact that she was flirting with him, even though they were only acting.

The three siblings backstage were in awe of the passionate performance, even though they were expecting Dave to pull the plug on it any minute.

"Alvin is _killing_ this song," Eleanor said to Jeanette, clearly impressed. "His vocals are the best they've ever been."

Jeanette nodded in agreement. Alvin and Brittany were certainly stealing the show, but she noticed Simon's guitar playing was perfect. The guitar parts were what made the song sound so different, so passionate.

"_Diana walked up to me_

_She said, I'm all yours tonight._

_At that, I ran to the phone,_

_Saying, Baby I'm alright_

_I said, But unlock the door_

'_Cause I forgot the key."_

Brittany grabbed Alvin by the shirt and pulled him toward her forcefully.

"_She said he's not coming back,_

_BECAUSE HE'S SLEEPING WITH ME!"_

Something behind them shot off bright white sparks, almost like mini-fireworks. This, of course, made the audience go wild with applause and cheers. They began jumping and shouting with excitement as Simon dropped to his knees and threw his head back as he played the guitar with as much energy as he could.

Alvin screamed out the chorus, walking over to Simon and dancing alongside him for a few bars. Then he went back to Brittany and grabbed her by the waist, dancing with her until his voice faded out.

With a few loud final strums on the guitar, the song came to an end with Alvin and Brittany in each other's arms. Alvin considered going for a passionate kiss, since they were both so into their characters, Brittany probably wouldn't have minded. But something held him back; he wasn't sure what it was, but he just couldn't bring himself to kiss her. So he settled for gently tilting her chin toward him, and slowly leaning in as if he were going for a kiss. But he quickly pulled back as the audience started screaming their lungs out, begging for more.

Brittany guided herself from Alvin's arms and looked into the mass of people cheering them on. She felt dizzy. Did Alvin just try to kiss her? And was it weird that, for a split second, she was actually hoping he would?

She didn't have much time to think about it. She, Alvin, and Simon took their final bows, basking in the applause.

"You know," Simon shouted to his brother over the noise, "I hate to admit this, but you were right. The audience loved it!"

Alvin smirked and continued to wave to his adoring fans. "Simon, don't doubt me."

Simon rolled his eyes and smiled at the crowd. He knew for a fact that he would doubt Alvin many more times in their lives, but he decided to let Alvin have some satisfaction with this one.

The three began to exit stage left, but gasped when they saw a furious-looking Dave Seville glaring back at them.

"Uh oh," Alvin said, his cocky smile fading. He spun on his heel and decided to exit stage right instead.

Over the deafening applause from the hundreds of fans, Alvin managed to clearly hear the shout that he had become so familiar with over the years: "ALLLLVVVVIIIIIN!"

Alvin picked up speed and hurried off the stage, heading the opposite direction of his father. As well as their performance had gone, it was clear that Dave was unhappy.

When Alvin got backstage, he hurried to his dressing room to get changed for his next song. But Dave stood in front of the room, his arms folded across his chest, a scowl on his face.

"Alvin," Dave said, his voice full of anger. "What was _that?_"

Alvin laughed nervously. "What was what?"

Dave narrowed his eyes. "Not only did you disobey me when I clearly told you we weren't changing _Crocodile Rock_, but you sang and danced to a song full of sexual content!"

"Dave," Alvin said with a sigh. "I know you're mad, but the audience loved…"

"I don't care what the audience thought!" Dave yelled. "I told you not to do it, and you went behind my back and changed everything anyway! Not to mention you dragged Simon and Brittany into this! I'm sure there are parents of our fans out there outraged about what you just did."

Alvin shook his head. He just didn't get it. The fans weren't mad… they loved it. Who cared what the song was about, as long as people enjoyed it?

Dave sighed in frustration as his son just stared back at him. He knew Alvin was clueless to why he was so upset. And he didn't have time to explain anything to him; the Chipmunks had to be back onstage in a few minutes and Alvin needed to get ready.

"If there weren't hundreds of fans out there who paid good money to see you perform, I wouldn't let you go back out there tonight," Dave said, stepping aside to let Alvin inside the room. "Don't think you're off the hook on this one, Alvin."

"Yeah, yeah," Alvin muttered, pushing past Dave. He knew he was acting like a jerk, but he didn't care. Dave was being completely unreasonable.

Dave turned to Brittany and Simon, who had been standing behind him.

"As for you two," he said firmly. "I'm not through talking with you either. I know Alvin is manipulative, but you could have said no."

Brittany smiled sweetly. "But Alvin said that you approved the idea," she said.

"And you believed him?" Dave raised an eyebrow, not buying Brittany's claim. He sighed again. "Look, we'll discuss this later. Go get ready for the next act."

When Dave walked away, Simon turned to Brittany. He was surprised to see her grinning.

"You don't seem to upset about this," he observed, even though he felt sick with guilt.

Brittany nodded toward the stage, where they could clearly hear the excited crowd chanting _"Brittany! Brittany! Brittany!"_

"It was worth it," Brittany said, her smile widening. She walked toward her dressing room, her poofy 80's hair-do bouncing with each confident step.

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	10. Chapter 10: Father Time

A/N: Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about this story. I've just been busy with other stuff. But it's here… this chapter isn't that great, but I really wanted to update the story so I just wrote something. And thank you to ChipmunkfanNo1 for giving me an idea for this particular part in the story. Thanks again! Enjoy the story, everyone.

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**11:47 pm**

**The RV**

The bus ride back to the hotel was eerily silent. Dave didn't congratulate the kids on a great show like he usually did. There was no conversation about how the show had gone, no high-fives or pats on the back. Just silence.

Simon leaned back on the padded booth, his stomach sick with guilt. He knew that this was his fault. Well, maybe not all his fault, but he could have easily said no to Alvin. Okay, maybe not _easily_, but he still could have refused.

Brittany was sitting next to Simon, trying to match everyone's somber mood by hiding her smile. She didn't want to admit it, but Alvin was right… their "dirty" performance was a hit. The audience adored it, and more importantly, they adored _her_. Brittany would never forget the crowd chanting her name and later begging for her signature backstage at the after-show autograph signings. The fans gushed to her about how amazing she looked during _Dirty Diana_ and how steamy her dancing was. She had never received so many compliments at once.

Alvin sat by Theodore, occasionally reaching his hand into a bag of chips his brother was holding. He tried acting relaxed, but every time he glanced at Dave, he knew he was in big trouble. Dave's face was twisted into an angry frown as he stared straight ahead while driving through the traffic. It didn't take a genius to figure out Alvin was going to get punished big time.

Finally the RV pulled up to the hotel and the musicians quickly climbed down the stairs, eager to escape the uncomfortable atmosphere. To Alvin's dismay, he was last one out. He tried leaving before Dave got a chance to say anything to him, but he was unsuccessful.

"Alvin," Dave said firmly, stopping his son. "Wait for me by my room."

Alvin nodded and hurried off the RV, knowing that it was going to be hard to get out of this one.

**12:12 am**

**The Hotel**

_Relax Alvin,_ he told himself while pacing outside of Dave's hotel room. _What's the worst he can do? It's not like he can ban me from the show._

He heard footsteps behind him and turned to see Dave walking toward him. Alvin hadn't seen Dave so angry in… well, forever.

Dave opened his door with the key card and gestured for Alvin to come inside. When he did, Dave turned on the light and shut the door behind them with a loud _thud._

"Sit," Dave ordered.

"I'd rather stand," Alvin said, trying to lighten the mood. "You know, it burns more calories."

"_Sit,"_ Dave repeated, pointing to the bed.

Alvin swallowed hard and sat on the bed. Dave sat on a nearby desk chair and sighed. They sat in silence for a few minutes until Dave said, "I am extremely disappointed in you, Alvin."

Alvin studied Dave's face. His livid expression had softened, and now he looked genuinely sad. Seeing that made Alvin's heart sink. To have Dave angry with him was one thing, but Alvin wasn't expecting for Dave to be disappointed.

Alvin had come into the room ready to debate his father and try to convince him that the performance was popular and that he saved the show. He had been mentally preparing the speech ever since he stepped into the hotel. But now, none of that mattered.

"I'm sorry," Alvin said. He looked away from Dave's sad brown eyes.

"Sorry isn't going to cut it," Dave said sharply. "Not this time. You disobeyed me. You lied to me. You convinced Simon and Brittany to disobey me as well. I'm sure you've disappointed many parents of young fans." Dave sighed again and ran a hand through his dark hair. "And I have no idea how to punish you."

Alvin's eyes widened.

"I can't pull you from the concert," Dave explained. "I can't really ground you; you have nothing to be grounded from."

"I don't?" Alvin asked. "What about parties?" He instantly regretted his words. Was he _trying_ to give suggestions to Dave about how to make his life miserable?

Dave shook his head. "Alvin, I try to avoid telling you this, but there's no denying that you _are _the star of the group. It's very important you show up to certain parties, for publicity reasons." Dave leaned back in the chair. "But I'm not letting you get away with this Alvin. This is one of the worst things you have ever done."

Alvin stared at his shoes. He had done a lot of bad things in the past, a lot of things that Dave didn't like. But Dave had never said that to him.

"In fact," Dave said, standing up, "why don't you just leave?"

"What?" Alvin asked. He blinked a few times. That was it? Dave was just kicking him out? No discussing the problem, no apologizes, no resolution? "We're not going to talk it out?"

Dave made his way to the door and opened it. "To be honest, I'm so angry at you, I don't even want to look at you right now," Dave said in a calm voice, despite the harshness of his words. "So just go."

Alvin stared at Dave, unable to move from his seat on the bed.

"What?" Dave asked. "Isn't this what you want anyway? I'm giving you an opportunity to leave, to push this out of your mind. And I know how much you like putting things off." Alvin still didn't move. "Get out, Alvin," Dave said. He frowned, but his even tone never left his voice. "Now."

He finally pushed himself off the bed and walked out of the room. As soon as he was out of the room, Dave slammed the door, narrowly missing Alvin.

Alvin blinked a few times in shock.

"What just happened?" he asked himself. He leaned against the wall and slowly sunk to the ground. "I've really screwed up this time."

Suddenly the door from across the hall opened and Simon emerged. He looked at Alvin sitting on the floor and cleared his throat to get his attention.

"So how bad is the punishment?" Simon asked his brother.

"There is no punishment," Alvin muttered.

Simon's blue eyes widened. "What?"

"You heard me," Alvin said, staring straight ahead. "Dave doesn't even want to speak to me. He doesn't even want to look at me, Simon." Alvin sighed. "I don't think he's ever been so mad at me before."

_Great,_ Simon thought. He figured Dave wouldn't be too pleased with him either.

Alvin pushed himself off the floor and headed back into their hotel room.

"What are you doing out here anyway?" Alvin asked.

"I was going to talk to Dave about something."

Alvin let out a humorless laugh. "Good luck with that." He shut the door behind him, not bothering to ask Simon if he had a key to get back in the room (which he did).

Simon took a deep breath and looked at the door that led to Dave's room. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. If Dave was as angry as Alvin said he was, Simon knew that he wouldn't be in a mood to chat. Plus he was probably angry at Simon for going along with Alvin's scheme.

_He won't want to talk about my problems with Jeanette,_ Simon thought. He turned around to go back inside his room, but he paused. He wasn't sure if he could face another awkward day around Jeanette. He honestly had no idea what would be the best thing to do in the situation and he needed advice: Dave's advice.

Simon took a deep breath and firmly knocked on the door. He heard footsteps and Dave was talking when he opened the door.

"Look, Alvin, I told you I don't want to…" Dave trailed off when he saw his tallest son in the doorway. His expression softened. "Oh. Hi Simon."

"Hi Dave," Simon said. "Look, I know you're probably upset with me, and I don't blame you. But I need to talk to you about something. I need your advice."

For a second, it looked to Simon as if Dave was about to ask him to leave. But to his surprise, Dave gave him a weak smile and said, "Come in, Simon."

Simon followed his father in the small room and took a seat on the bed.

"I really am sorry for earlier Dave," Simon said, his voice full of regret. "I don't know how Alvin talks me into these things, but he somehow does. That's no excuse though. I apoligise."

Dave grinned at his son's formal apology. "Thanks Simon. But I'm sure Alvin wasn't exactly honest with you."

"Don't try to make me seem like the victim," Simon said. "I knew Alvin was lying all along, I just wanted to help him out."

"I appreciate the honesty," Dave said. He sighed and shook his head. "I'm actually disappointed in myself for how I handled Alvin."

Simon raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I told him to leave the room," Dave said. "I told him that I didn't want to look at him, and I said this was the worst thing he's ever done, which is being a little dramatic. I think I just made things worse."

"So just talk to him," Simon said simply. "Dave, our family has overcome so many things just by talking about it. Remember when Cookie Chomper III died? We would have never gotten over that if you would have avoided it."

Dave smiled sadly at the melancholy memory. It seemed like such a long time ago when the kitten had died. He had forgotten all about until that moment.

"You're right," Dave said with a nod. "Now, what did you want to talk about, Simon?"

"Well." Simon suddenly felt embarrassed. He cleared his throat and felt heat rise to his face. "It's about… a girl."

"Oh, really?" Dave sounded interested.

"Yes." Simon blew out a sigh.

"Is this girl, by any chance, Jeanette?" Dave asked.

Simon looked at his father in surprise. "How did you know?"

"Lucky guess," Dave chuckled. "Anyway, go on."

"I like her Dave," Simon decided to just come out and say it. "The other night at that party… I almost kissed her. And ever since then, things have been uncomfortable between us."

"Uncomfortable," Dave said the word thoughtfully.

Simon nodded. "I don't know what to say to her," he confessed. "For all I know, she doesn't even like me back. I just don't want to make a fool out of myself."

Dave smiled. The solution seemed so simple to him. "Tell her how you feel," Dave said. "Tell her what you just told me."

"Easier said than done," Simon scoffed.

"Well if you don't say something," Dave went on, "things are just going to get more uncomfortable."

"I know," Simon said. "I just… I don't know _what_ to say."

"Say what you feel," Dave said, as if it was the answer to a simple math problem. "You know Jeanette isn't the type to judge. You'll be fine."

Simon relaxed at Dave's words. He was right; this was _Jeanette_ they were talking about. He knew Jeanette wouldn't make fun of him or anything.

"Thanks Dave," Simon said, thankful for Dave's encouraging words.

"Anytime," Dave said kindly. "Oh, and Simon?"

"Yes?"

"Could you send Alvin in here?" Dave grinned. "I think I should take some of your advice as well."

"Of course," Simon nodded.

Simon thanked him again and left the room, feeling slightly more confident and a whole lot better to get it off his chest. It was funny how talking to Dave always made him feel better.

We'll see how much better I feel tomorrow when I talk to Jeanette, Simon thought. And with that, he entered his hotel room and shut the door, eager to put the long day behind him.

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	11. Chapter 11: Not What He Seems

**Author's Note: **Okay, I give major props to the people who still remember this story. I haven't updated it since June 6 of last year. That's almost 8 months! But I've had some people asking about this story, and I figured I should at least try to finish it. After recently rereading the whole story, there are parts about it that I wish I could do over, but I like how I portrayed Alvin and Brittany's relationship (just the right amount of hate and affection, IMO) so that's the main thing about this story that's keeping me going. I would appreciate some reviews on this; does it flow with the other chapters (I have my doubts, since it's been so long), is there something you'd like to see, should I bother continuing, etc. I'm gonna need some feedback for this one! For advice and motivation! Okay, time for me to shut up and let you read this thing (you might need to refresh your memory though… I know I had to!):

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**Saturday June 22, **

**1:23 pm**

Alvin casually strolled through the hallways, whistling a happy tune. He was in a great mood; he and Dave had patched things up last week about the little _Dirty Diana_ incident and all was well. He was looking forward to the sold-out show he and the others would perform in later that night. And best of all, they were in Las Vegas, city of lights. Alvin was_ so_ tempted to sneak into a casino and put his gambling skills to the test, but he knew he was on thin ice with Dave. So he decided to do a very un-Alvin-like thing by staying out of trouble; at least for the next few days.

Alvin had just finished one of his rehearsals and was off to grab a bite to eat; he hadn't eaten anything since early that morning. He and the others had been too busy rehearsing new material. Although the stunt he and Brittany pulled off last weekend didn't end up so well, something good came out of it: Dave listened to the Chipmunks and Chipettes for new suggestions of what to perform. To Alvin's satisfaction, the tiresome _Crocodile Rock_ number was out. However, Boys and Girls of Rock n' Roll was left in, which Alvin was less than thrilled about. But he figured the new songs would be worth it.

Now Alvin was on his way to a long-awaited lunch. He navigated through the long, titled-floor hallways backstage, hoping to find at least a vending machine.

"Finally," Alvin said to himself as he found a machine stocked with candy bars and small bags of chips. It wasn't the healthiest thing ever, but he hadn't eaten anything all day.

He grabbed a dollar bill from his pocket and smoothed it out against the machine. He was about to put the money in the slot when he heard a familiar voice coming from one of the rooms nearby.

"I've missed you too, babe," the male voice said.

Alvin glanced to his right and saw that the door to the room the band members were hanging out in was cracked open.

"It sucks being away from home so long," Alvin heard Justin say.

Alvin's ever-present curiosity took over. He quietly moved closer to the room and peeked inside. Justin was sitting in the room alone, on a chair that faced away from the door.

"I know, Megan," Justin went on. "I miss you too."

Alvin frowned. _Megan?_ Who's Megan?

Justin laughed into the receiver. "Yeah, it's going pretty well. I think she actually thinks I like her. I haven't really gotten a chance to be photographed with her yet, but hopefully that'll happen soon. She's so crazy about me, she'll probably be begging for the paparazzi to shoot us together."

Alvin's eyebrows raised. Was Justin talking about Brittany.

"Oh God, no!" Justin suddenly yelled. "I'm not going to_ kiss_ her. Are you kidding me? She's, like, not even human! Baby, I'm just doing this for some publicity, that's all. Besides," Justin was grinning now, Alvin could tell, "you're the only one I want to kiss."

Justin paused, and then laughed. "I knew you'd understand, Meg. And in a few months, this lame kiddie tour will be over with and I'll have enough money to buy that Jeep." Justin sighed. "Relax, Meg, she's a rodent for Christ's sake. I'll just lead her on for a few more weeks and dump her. We've been over this, remember?" Justin paused. "Okay, yeah. I love you too. Later."

Alvin sighed when Justin hung up the phone. His mind was clogged with so many thoughts that he couldn't think straight.

He couldn't believe Justin was using Brittany for publicity. Well, actually he could believe it. He knew from the start that this Justin guy was no good. But he couldn't believe _Brittany _of all people was being used. Brittany had always gotten any guy she ever wanted; but the one she wanted now turned out to be a huge player, and she had no idea.

Alvin quickly debated on what he should do next. He considered just letting the whole thing go; this was Brittany's mess, and she should have to deal with the consequences. She didn't listen to Alvin when he told her Justin was bad news. Besides, it might do Brittany some good to get rejected. She always went around thinking she was so hot, and Alvin wouldn't mind seeing her knocked down a few pegs.

On the other hand, he and Brittany had known each other since they were little kids, and he felt that he should at least look out for her a little. Besides, he couldn't just let Justin win.

Alvin stood up straight and barged into Justin's room without knocking.

Justin looked up, surprised to see Alvin.

"Oh," he said coolly. "Hey Alvin. What's up, man?"

"Cut the crap," Alvin said firmly. "I know what you're trying to do."

Justin pretended to look confused. "What are you talking about?"

"I couldn't help but hear that conversation you just had over the phone," Alvin said. "You're leading Brittany on just so you and your silly little band can get some recognition."

Justin grinned, and Alvin could tell he was going to drop the innocent act. "Actually," Justin said, folding his arms across his chest, "my band has nothing to do with this. This is just about me."

Alvin frowned. "Sorry," he said. "But you're not going to get away with this one, Pretty Boy. I'm telling Brittany all about your stupid little plan."

Justin scoffed. "Go ahead. It's not like she'll believe you."

This made Alvin laugh out loud. "Why wouldn't she believe me? We've known each other for _years_, pal."

"That doesn't matter," Justin pointed out. "I may be playing her, but you're the one who treats her like crap every day. She's head over heels for me; she wouldn't believe that I'm using her." Justin cocked his head to the side and studied Alvin. "Why do you care anyway? I thought you hated Brittany."

Alvin narrowed his eyes. "She deserves to know."

"So go tell her, Alvin." Justin's grin looked evil and his tone in his voice was threatening. "I'm not stopping you."

Alvin suddenly felt very angry. He was angry that Justin wasn't taking him seriously. He was angry that he didn't seem to have any control of this situation like he originally thought he would. He was angry that he hadn't eaten anything all day and this was cutting into his short lunch break.

"Fine," Alvin said, his confidence never wavering. "I'll go tell her. Nice knowing you, pal."

Alvin left the room and marched to the Chipette's dressing room backstage. The whole way there, he tried to think of what to say when he told Brittany the truth. Should he start from the beginning or should he just blurt everything out. Alvin decided to just tell her straight-up that Justin was playing her and just give details if she asked.

_Sometimes you just gotta rip the band-aid off,_ he thought.

When he reached Brittany's dressing room, Alvin opened the door and walked right in. Brittany, who was sitting at her vanity, gasped and turned toward the door.

"Good," Alvin said, surveying the quiet room. "You're alone."

"Ever heard of knocking?" Brittany asked furiously.

Alvin ignored the angry Chipette and made his way toward her. "We need to talk," he said.

Brittany's expression went from annoyed to confused, probably because Alvin was acting uncharacteristically serious. "What?"

Alvin took a deep breath. Just say it and get it over with.

"I overheard Justin talking on the phone today," Alvin said. "He was talking to his girlfriend, saying that he's using you. He's just pretending to like you so he can get his picture taken with you and stuff. He just wants to be famous."

Alvin looked at Brittany, bracing himself to hear her cry. But to Alvin's surprise, Brittany didn't cry, nor did she even look the least bit sad.

Instead, she laughed. She actually _laughed._

Alvin stood there in awe, at a loss for words.

"I know you don't like Justin," Brittany said as her laughing started to fade. "But making up lies about him? Isn't that kind of… _childish?"_

Alvin's jaw dropped.

"You can be so pathetic sometimes," Brittany said in a condescending tone. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to see which lip gloss goes better with my new outfit."

As Brittany turned toward the mirror, Alvin still couldn't move. She didn't believe him. After all those duets, all those classes in school together, all those _years_ he had spent as her next-door neighbor, Brittany didn't believe him. She was too blinded by her stupid crush on some guy she had known for a few weeks to believe Alvin.

Another wave of anger passed through Alvin's body. How dare she doubt him? Why would she trust _Justin_ before trusting _him?_

Alvin refused to give up on this. He moved closer to Brittany and spun her chair around, forcing her to look at him.

Brittany sighed, obviously annoyed. "Go away, Alvin."

"Why hasn't he kissed you yet?" Alvin challenged.

For a brief moment, maybe a fraction of a second, Alvin saw a look of vulnerability cross Brittany's pretty face. But it was quickly replaced with anger.

"That is none of your business," Brittany spat.

"He won't kiss you because he doesn't even think of you as human," Alvin told her. "That's what he told Megan over the phone. His _girlfriend."_

"How _dare_ you?" Brittany asked. Alvin could practically see the fire in her eyes. "Why would say this? Why are you trying to insult me?"

"I'm _not,"_ Alvin said, his temper rising. "I'm telling you the truth."

Brittany's eyes narrowed. "As if I could believe anything you'd ever tell me. You always treat me like dirt anyway, so why would I ever believe _you_ of all people." She paused, her frown getting deeper. "Why do you even care anyway?"

Alvin returned her icy glare. "I don't. Not anymore."

Alvin backed away from Brittany and turned to leave. He walked to the doorway, but Brittany said something that stopped him in his tracks:

"Jealousy is an ugly trait, Alvin!" Brittany called after him.

Alvin's hands balled up into fists at his sides. "So is being a cold-hearted bitch," he replied without missing a beat. He slammed the door on the way out and stormed away, never looking back.

...

**Chipette's Dressing Room**

Brittany stared at her reflection in the mirror. She was trying to decide between the coral and raspberry colored lip glosses, but there was no way she could focus on anything after what had just happened between her and Alvin.

She hated when Alvin called her names, especially the B-word. She knew what Eleanor would tell her if she was here: "Well if you don't want to be called one, don't act like one."

And Brittany knew that; but she didn't think she was acting all that unreasonable. She just flat-out didn't believe Alvin. She had no reason to believe him. Alvin had been cruel or sneaky toward her 90% of the time she had known him. She didn't trust him for one second.

Although he _did_ seem really upset when he left the room. But Brittany just figured it was because she had called him jealous. She had meant that he was jealous of Justin's _musical skills_, not because of the fact that Brittany liked him. She hoped Alvin knew that; she didn't want him thinking that she thought Alvin liked her, because she totally didn't.

She knew Alvin couldn't stand her, just like she couldn't stand him. That was why he was trying to play that mean trick on her.

Brittany just rolled her eyes the more she thought about it. Alvin was so lame. Accusing Justin of using her was as low as it got. What a loser.

But something Alvin said really struck Brittany, and that was when he had brought up that Justin hadn't kissed her yet. She wondered how Alvin would have even known about the lack of kissing; she obviously hadn't told him. It also bothered her because she had been wondering the same thing: Why hadn't Justin even attempted to kiss her? It usually didn't take Brittany this long to get a kiss.

_He's probably just shy,_ Brittany thought, applying some shiny pink gloss on her soft lips.

A soft knock came at the door.

"Come in!" Brittany said. She grinned when Justin walked in the room. "Hi," she gushed.

Justin gave her that heart-stopping smile that she adored. "Hey."

She noticed that he looked a little nervous. "Is everything okay?" she asked.

Justin sighed. "I don't know. It's just… well…" He stuffed his hands in his pockets and sighed. "Has Alvin talked to you recently?"

Brittany nodded slowly, wondering what was going on. "He just left."

"Oh," Justin said. "Did he say anything about me?"

Brittany rolled her eyes. "Yeah, something about how you're using me. It was really dumb."

"You didn't believe him?" Justin looked hopeful.

"Of course not!" Brittany exclaimed. She looked at him carefully. "I shouldn't have, right?"

"No!" Justin said, shaking his head. "I'm just glad you didn't buy whatever story he told you. A few minutes ago he came barging in my room telling me to stay away from you. When I told him I wouldn't, he threatened to tell you that I was playing you or something." Justin rolled his eyes. "I tried to stop him, but I couldn't. He was too focused on getting here to tell you some bogus story he made up."

"Oh," Brittany said, a little surprised to hear all this. She had no idea that Alvin had confronted Justin. "Well, you have nothing to worry about. I don't trust that clown for anything. And don't worry about him, he just gets mad when someone is better at something than he is. He's just jealous of your guitar skills."

Justin raised an eyebrow. "Or maybe he's jealous that I have you."

Brittany's heart fluttered. She loved when guys got all possessive. _He thinks he _has _me!_ Brittany screamed in her mind.

Suddenly, Justin moved his face toward Brittany and put his lips on hers. Her mind spun as she happily kissed him back.

When Justin slowly pulled back, he was smiling. "I've wanted to do that for a while now."

"Me too." Brittany was amazed she could form a sentence, even a 2-word one. She felt so dizzy she could hardly see straight.

Justin licked his lips, which had lip gloss on them thanks to Brittany. "You should go with this lip stuff for the show tonight. It tastes good."

Brittany wasn't sure why, but she thought Justin licking her lip gloss off his lips was incredibly sexy. "Whatever you say."

Justin gave her one last smile before he left the room and said, "See you on stage."

"See ya," Brittany said, still reeling from that wonderful kiss.

Brittany smiled at her flushed face in the large mirror. This further proved that Alvin was full of crap when it came to this Justin thing. Justin had kissed her and basically confirmed that they were together. All doubts about him had disappeared the moment his lips touched hers.

She sighed dreamily, the way she had when she would watch princess movies with happy endings when she was little. Justin was a great guy who would never hurt her. He was smart, funny, cute, and perfect; Alvin was just being a baby.

Justin was officially hers and there wasn't a thing Alvin Seville or anybody else could do about it.

* * *

**Hope this gave you something to read during the big snowstorm. Keep your fingers warm by typing up a quick review! :D **


	12. Chapter 12: Country Fried

**A/N:** Thank you for the positive feedback and encouragement for last chapter. It is very much appreciated; I needed that boost! Anyway, I realized I royally screwed up on something… last chapter, they were in Vegas. But I noticed that the chapter before that (chapter 10) they were in Chicago. I had planned for the tour to move east, not west. So, uh, let's pretend that last chapter was set in Indiana or Michigan or somewhere around there. It's not a huge deal; it doesn't affect the plot that much. But it still annoys me. So sorry if anyone was confused by the geography! Okay, moving on… here's chapter 12.

* * *

**Saturday June 28**

**10:44 pm**

**The Stage**

"I know this ain't exactly how I was raised," Alvin sang into the microphone as he strummed on his guitar. "But Heaven help me honey, I ain't changing' my ways!"

"_I want to drink from your loving cup  
Swear I'll never give you up  
Steal all your kisses underneath the moon  
I wanna lie here close to you  
Look at what you make me do  
Darling you're the reason why I drink, swear, steal and lie."_

"Drink, swear, steal, and lie!" Alvin repeated, strumming his guitar to an end.

The Tennessean crowd cheered loudly as Alvin and his brothers took a bow. He always loved doing their country show in Nashville; it was something different, and the audience was among the loudest and most fun in the country. Plus Alvin loved seeing all the pretty Southern girls screaming his name, with their short cut-off shorts and cowboy boots. God, he _loved _Tennessee.

"Thank you!" Alvin yelled into the microphone. "Y'all ready for the Chipettes?"

"YES!" the crowd hollered.

"Here they are!" Alvin said, gesturing toward the side of the stage. Brittany, Eleanor, and Jeanette all ran out, wearing boots, denim skirts, and tiny plaid shirts.

The boys made their way backstage as the girls belt out the opening verse to _I Feel Lucky._

"That was good boys," Alvin told his brothers. That performance had really gotten his adrenaline going. "What's up next?"

Simon sighed and adjusted his cowboy hat, which was a size too big. Needless to say, Simon had never been a huge country music fan.

"I think its _Boot Scootin' Boogie_," Theodore replied.

"Great," Simon muttered.

Alvin gave his brother a friendly, yet hard, slap on the back.

"Lighten up Simon," he said. "It's not every day you get to sing country music in its birthplace."

"Thank goodness for that," Simon deadpanned.

Alvin excused himself to get a drink backstage. He had sung his little country-lovin' heart out, and he was parched.

Alvin grabbed a Dixie cup from the top of the water cooler and filled it to the top. As he gulped it down, Justin came over to get a drink too.

"So Justin," Alvin said casually. "What country song are you going to sing? _Your Cheatin' Heart?"_

Justin chuckled. "Good one, Alvin. Did it take you all night to come up with that?"

Alvin took another drink of water and shrugged. He wanted to punch the loser in the face every time he saw him.

"I still think it's hilarious that she doesn't believe you," Justin said, filling his cup. "I guess knowing someone for so many years doesn't really mean anything if that person has been an asshole to you the whole time."

"Like you should talk," Alvin fired back. "I would never do something as bad to Brittany as what you're doing to her."

"Of course you wouldn't," Justin said. "Because you like her."

Alvin crushed the plastic cup in his fist. "No, I don't."

Justin shrugged as he took a gulp of water. "Okay. Keep telling yourself that."

Alvin felt his temperature rising. Why did everyone think he liked Brittany? The media, people at school, fans, even his family thought he liked her. But he never had, and he knew he never will. She was Brittany Miller, his enemy.

"Whatever," Alvin said. He tossed his empty cup in the small wastebasket. "Do what you want with her, I don't even care anymore."

Justin raised his eyebrows. "You don't mean that."

"Why wouldn't I?" Alvin asked.

They heard the final notes of the Chipette's song being played on stage, followed by a loud applause.

"Looks like you're on, Cowboy," Justin said with a grin.

Alvin rolled his eyes and headed toward the stage. He decided at that moment that he was going to avoid Justin the rest of the tour. He already had managed to not speak to Brittany since that day she had refused to believe him in the dressing room, and he saw Brittany way more than he saw Justin. So it shouldn't be too difficult to ignore him.

He was going to let this Brittany/Justin thing go, once and for all. He had done all he could do, and if Brittany wasn't willing to listen to him, then it was her loss. He really didn't care anymore. She deserves to be humiliated when Justin dumps her in a few weeks for his other girlfriend. In fact, Alvin was almost looking forward to it.

"Are we doing the line dance?" Theodore asked, as Alvin joined his brothers on the side of the stage.

"No," Simon said at the same time as Alvin said, "Of course."

"Isn't singing the song putting me through enough torture?" Simon argued.

"Quit whining," Alvin said, grabbing his guitar. "You sound like a little girl when you whine."

Simon narrowed his eyes, but reluctantly followed his brothers on stage.

_Only three more songs until the finale,_ he thought. Then he put on a huge fake smile for the excited audience and pretended to love the opening instrumental.

…

**12:29 am**

**Chipette's Hotel Room**

Jeanette entered the room slowly, careful not to drop the huge desert tray that had just been delivered to their door. They had quickly discovered how friendly folks around the area were. The Chipmunks and Chipettes had received many gifts and fan letters even though they had only been in Tennessee a day.

"It's because it's Tennessee," Brittany had told Jeanette after she had noted the friendliness. "There's nothing else to do around here."

Jeanette closed the door and entered the room. Eleanor was in the bathroom while Brittany was reading a magazine in her bed. She looked up when she noticed Jeanette had come in.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Deserts from a fan," Jeanette said with a grin. "The man at the desk gave them to me."

Brittany scoffed and looked back down at her magazine. "They're probably poisonous."

"Don't be such a pessimist, Britt," Jeanette said, setting the tray on a nearby table.

Brittany frowned. "What did you just call me?"

"A pessimist," Jeanette replied. "It just means that you're being negative."

Brittany blinked. "Oh."

Eleanor emerged out of the bathroom and immediately saw the sweets Jeanette had brought.

"Want some, Ellie?" Jeanette asked, noticing her sister was eyeing the yummy looking desserts. "They look good. I think they're homemade."

"Uh, no thanks," Eleanor said, moving past the tasty food.

Jeanette grinned and picked up a small square of fudge. "Are you sure? They look really good. And I know how much you like…"

"I said no!" Eleanor exclaimed. "Not everyone can eat everything they want and still look skinny like you do!"

Jeanette's eyes widened in surprise. Brittany looked up from the article about lip gloss she was reading and stared at her sisters. The room was silent as Eleanor took a deep breath and instantly regretted what she had just said.

"Eleanor?" Jeanette said hesitantly, putting the piece of fudge back on the plate. "Is everything alright?"

Eleanor bit her lip and stared at the ceiling. A lump formed in her throat and hot tears pricked her eyes.

"No," Eleanor admitted, her voice slightly hoarse. "It's not."

Jeanette and Brittany watched Eleanor lay on her stomach in her bed. She buried her face in the fluffy pillow and willed herself not to cry. Eleanor had never been a crier; she had always seen it as a sign of weakness, and Eleanor was_ not_ a weak person. But this whole weight thing had finally taken her over the edge, and she knew deep down that she needed to talk about with someone.

She felt a hand stroke her hair. "You can talk to us, Eleanor," Jeanette said in a soothing voice. Usually Eleanor was the one who took over the motherly role among her sisters. Usually it was Brittany or Jeanette troubled by something, not Eleanor. Eleanor was always the happy, carefree one, offering comfort and advice. It was weird to be the one who needed the comforting.

Eleanor slowly sat up and swallowed hard, trying to rid that annoying lump in her throat.

"I'm fat," Eleanor said simply. "That's what's been bothering me."

"No you're not," Brittany and Jeanette immediately said at the same time.

Eleanor rolled her eyes. "Yes, I am. You're just saying that because you're my sisters."

"Ellie," Jeanette said gently, "did someone say you were fat?"

"Yeah," Eleanor answered. "Almost everyone on the internet. They say that I'm fat and boring and that they like you two way better."

Brittany raised her eyebrows. "You actually read what those clowns on the internet say?"

Eleanor shrugged and said, "Well, yeah. They're our fans."

"A small percentage of fans," Jeanette pointed out.

"Yeah," Brittany agreed. "Besides, they're probably all fat themselves. They're just losers who can't afford tickets to our show, so they have to talk about us online. Screw them."

Eleanor sighed. She knew her sisters were just trying to make her feel better… but she wished she had kept her mouth shut about the whole thing.

"You are not fat, El," Brittany said. She flipped through some pages in her magazine and showed Eleanor an advertisement featuring a curvy, yet beautiful girl modeling an outfit. "Look. Curves are totally in right now. And a lot of girls would_ love_ to look like you."

Eleanor smiled weakly. "Thanks, Britt."

"It's true," Brittany went on, sensing that Eleanor was still unconvinced. "I would love to have more shape to my legs like you do. Instead, I have these scrawny chicken legs. It would be nice to have more muscle definition like your legs have." Brittany nodded toward Jeanette. "And take Jeanette here. I'm sure she'd like to have boobs like yours. Being as flat as a board is no fun!"

Jeanette narrowed her eyes. "Gee, thanks Brittany."

Brittany smiled, obviously pleased. "I'm just trying to prove a point." She looked at her blond sister. "You're beautiful, Ellie, and don't let anyone tell you anything different."

Oddly enough, Eleanor did feel a little better after Brittany's speech. She wasn't sure if Brittany meant it, but she chose to believe that she did.

"Thanks," Eleanor said, getting up from bed. "You know what? I'm going to buy a candy bar from that vending machine I saw in the hallway. I've been craving M&Ms for weeks."

Eleanor left the room with a smile, but Jeanette looked at Brittany with skepticism.

"Did you mean what you said?" Jeanette asked.

"About my legs?" Brittany asked. "No way. I love my legs; I wouldn't trade them for anything. Now _your _issue, on the other hand…" Brittany glanced at Jeanette's chest. "Well, I wasn't kidding about that."

Jeanette rolled her eyes. "I wasn't talking about_ that_."

"You mean when I said Ellie was beautiful?" Brittany suggested. She shrugged and said, "Of course I meant that. Eleanor is a good looking girl. She's not fat; she's just a little thicker than us. She still looks awesome, way too hot for Theodore."

Jeanette cracked a smile. "You're a good sister, Brittany."

"I know," Brittany said with a yawn. She put her magazine on the night stand and settled underneath the blankets on her bed.

Jeanette took a deep breath. She couldn't get something out of her mind, and she just had to share it with someone.

"Brittany?" she asked hesitantly. She pulled her knees up to her chest.

"Yeah?"

"How can you tell if someone likes you?"

Brittany rolled over and faced her sister. "If you're talking about Simon, you have nothing to worry about. The whole world knows he has a thing for you."

Jeanette blushed. "But he hasn't said anything."

"He's weird when it comes to stuff like that," Brittany said with an eye roll. "It's not like the guy gets out very much. He probably just doesn't know what to say."

"You think so?" Jeanette asked, noticing how hopeful she sounded.

"Of course," Brittany said. She pulled the blankets up further. "I'm sure he'll tell you how he feels eventually. And you can wait for him to say something, if you're willing to wait. Or you could just tell him that _you_ like _him_."

"I don't know about that," Jeanette said. Just thinking about telling Simon that she liked him made her feel nauseous. "Isn't the guy supposed to bring it up?"

"This isn't the 1950s, Jeanette," Brittany said. "It's perfectly normal if girls bring it up first. Actually, guys like when girls are bold when it comes to stuff like that."

"Really?" Jeanette asked. "They do?"

"Yeah," Brittany said. She closed her eyes. "Trust me, I would know."

Jeanette nodded. It must have worked for Brittany; she'd had a lot more luck with guys and dating than Jeanette had had over the years.

The door opened and Eleanor walked in, munching on M&Ms.

"Mmmm!" Eleanor grinned as she chewed. "Delicious."

A few minutes later, all three girls were in bed. Eleanor and Brittany had fallen asleep within five minutes, but Jeanette lie awake staring at the ceiling. Brittany's words echoed in her mind: _Guys like when girls are bold when it comes to stuff like that. _Brittany had also said that Simon liked her; she said that _everyone_ thought Simon liked her.

_But what if he doesn't?_ Jeanette wondered. How embarrassing would that be; confessing feelings for someone who didn't return them? Jeanette wasn't sure if she could risk that humiliation.

However, she wasn't sure how much longer she could go without knowing for sure if Simon felt the same way she felt about him. What if Simon really was that shy, and couldn't tell her. If they liked each other, one of them should say something about it. Otherwise, it was all for nothing.

Jeanette decided that someone had to break the ice. As much as she didn't want to be the one to do it, she knew there was a strong possibility that she would have to.

_Please, Simon,_ Jeanette thought. _Make the first move. Don't make me do it._

That's when Jeanette realized how much she liked Simon; she wanted to be with him, and she didn't want to wait for him forever. She wanted to know _now_… did he have feelings for her or not?

Despite her mind still swirling with thoughts about Simon, Jeanette managed to peacefully drift to sleep.

_I'm going to find out if he likes me,_ Jeanette thought right before she closed her eyes. _Even if I have to ask him myself._

* * *

Yeah, I know. Lame chapter. It's full of lazy, crappy writing and boringness. It's sort of a filler chapter... sorry if I disappointed you. I just wanted to get that stupid Eleanor/body image story out of the way. Don't worry, things pick up next chapter. Stay tuned!

By the way, lately I've been obsessed with the country song "Drink, Swear, Steal, and Lie" by Michael Peterson. I don't know why... I don't even like country that much, but I enjoy 90s country for some reason. And the Chipmunks/ettes really did sing "I Feel Lucky" and "Boot Scootin' Boogie" on their country albums (they're on youtube if you're interested). Anyway, again sorry for the random, stupid chapter. I'll make it up to you with a much better one next time.


	13. Chapter 13: Masquerade

**A/N: This would have been out sooner, but I've been really busy with final exams and getting all my work turned in for school. Plus my computer got a virus and I had to take it in to get fixed. But I am almost done with school for summer and my computer is happy again. So hopefully I'll be able to write more often now. I hope you like this chapter, and please leave a review; the more reviews I see the more likely I am to be motivated to write!**

* * *

**Saturday July 12**

**6:37 PM**

**Atlanta, GA**

Alvin, Simon, Theodore, Jeanette, and Eleanor wandered in the hotel lobby, feeling slightly out of place. They had been invited to a celebrity costume party that night and apparently they were the only ones in the hotel who were going. They earned curious stares from the other guests, which the Chipmunks and Chipettes weren't surprised about. They _did_ stand out quite a bit in their outfits; Eleanor's angel wings nearly knocked down a bell boy and two elderly guests, and Jeanette's bright purple fairy dress earned attention from little girls telling their mothers, "Mommy, I want to dress up like a pretty fairy too!"

Simon, lacking the effort the others had put into their costumes, predictably dressed up like Albert Einstein, his hero. He always dressed like Einstein as a kid for Halloween, so he felt that he should keep up the tradition.

Theodore was wearing a mouse costume, which made him look like a four-year-old (he didn't seem to notice).

Unlike his fellow companions, Alvin enjoyed the attention he was getting from his costume. He was dressed as an 80's rocker, complete with long, messy hair, tight pants, and a wildly printed shirt. Sure, he looked crazy, but it was a fun costume that was sure to get plenty of attention; and there was nothing Alvin loved more than attention.

Not to mention, Dave wouldn't be accompanying the teens to the party. Thanks to paper work and phone calls he needed to get done, Dave said he had to stay at the hotel tonight. He was clearly reluctantly to let the kids go alone, but he said he felt they needed to be there. The major downfall to the situation was that they had to be home by midnight.

"Midnight!" Alvin wailed when he heard the news. "But Dave, everyone knows the party doesn't start getting good till at least twelve-thirty!"

But Dave's warning glare was all it took to shut Alvin up. Ever since his little _Dirty Diana_ scheme, he knew he was on thin ice with Dave. In a rare moment, Alvin decided to not push his luck. He needed to get on Dave's good side, and whining about the rules wasn't going to get him there.

"I still don't understand why a costume party is being thrown in July," Simon muttered, adjusting his wig. "Couldn't they have saved this for Halloween?"

"Relax, Simon," Alvin said, checking the time on his cell phone. He couldn't wait for that limo to arrive to take them to the party. He was long overdue for a good party. "It's just for fun. Take it for what it is."

Simon sighed. Maybe his brother was right. But parties weren't exactly his "thing" as it was; being forced to wear a costume at one just made him less excited for the event.

"Where is Brittany?" Theodore asked, playing with his mouse tail.

"She and Justin are taking a separate limo," Eleanor explained as she adjusted her golden halo.

Simon noticed Alvin scoff and roll his eyes. Something was going on between Alvin and Brittany, but Simon had no idea what. They hadn't spoken in weeks, and that included fighting. The only time they interacted was when they had to, such as for rehearsals and performances.

Simon was curious about why they were ignoring each other, but he had never been one to pry into anyone else's business. However, he found it strange that Alvin hadn't brought anything up; he usually had no problem publically complaining about Brittany, but Alvin hadn't mentioned her in weeks. He would just roll his eyes whenever her name brought up, and that was it. Something had _definitely _happened between them, but it was anyone's guess as to what exactly occurred.

"I hope we're not late!"

Everyone turned to see Brittany and Justin making their way toward the group. Brittany was dressed as a sexy school girl outfit, complete with knee-high socks, black mary janes, and short black pleated skirt. She wore a grey cardigan that was left open to reveal a white button-down shirt that was tied in a knot at the bottom, showing off Brittany's tanned stomach. Her hair was in two, high braided pigtails, secured by pink fuzzy-looking hair ties.

Justin wore sunglasses, and his dark hair was curled. He wore jeans and a black jacket over a tight blue shirt.

"Who are you guys supposed to be?" Jeanette asked, despite Brittany's iconic costume.

Brittany rolled her eyes. "Isn't it obvious?" Brittany pointed to herself and her boyfriend. "We're Britney and Justin!"

Jeanette frowned. "Right, but who are you supposed to be dressed as?"

Brittany let out a frustrated groan. "God, Jeanette! We're Britney _Spears_ and_ Justin Timberlake_. Remember when they used to go out?"

Jeanette just blinked, causing Brittany to sigh dramatically.

"And _she's _supposed to be the smart one," Brittany muttered to Justin.

"I wouldn't be talking about who is and isn't smart if I were you," Alvin said, folding his arms against his chest.

Brittany whipped her head toward him, her light brown pigtails hitting her in the face. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Well," Alvin said, a slight smile hinting on his lips. "First of all, Britney and Justin didn't date during the _…Baby One More Time _days. So really, your costume is inaccurate."

Brittany's blue eyes narrowed. "So? People will still know who we are. _Most_ people actually pay attention to that kind of stuff." Her gaze shifted to Jeanette.

"Fine," Alvin said. "Just make sure your boy stays close to you, or else people are won't have any idea who he is. Curly hair and a pricey jacket doesn't automatically make you look like Justin Timberlake."

"Are you done now?" Brittany asked impatiently.

"Yeah," Alvin said with a grin. "I think I am."

"Good." Brittany gave him a fake smile and tilted her head. "Because you look like an aging drag queen."

Alvin frowned while Justin, Theodore, and Eleanor laughed. Brittany grabbed Justin's hand and waved teasingly at Alvin as they left the hotel toward their limo, which had just pulled up to the hotel entrance. "See ya at the party, Axl!"

Jeanette, Eleanor, and Theodore wandered away, but Simon stayed with his brother. He knew Alvin hated getting his ego knocked down a few pegs, and who knows what he would have done without someone stopping him.

"What a stupid costume choice," Alvin muttered. "Brittany and Justin as Britney and Justin? So lame."

"Oh, I don't know," Simon said with a shrug. "I think it's kind of clever."

Alvin looked at his brother in awe. "Are you kidding? They didn't even last that long!" Alvin shook his head. "Hopefully they _do_ end up like Justin and Britney and Brittany ends up with some loser like Kevin What's-His-Name."

"You don't mean that," Simon said.

Alvin didn't answer. Instead, he stared straight ahead and continued his ridiculous rant. "Why would a guy dress up like someone from N-sync anyway? Everyone knows that the Backstreet Boys were better. If you're going to dress up like a guy from a boy band, at least go as a Backstreet Boy."

Simon frowned. "What does _that _have to do with anything?"

His brother shrugged. "I'm just saying." He walked off to join the others.

Simon sighed, and was relieved when he saw their limo pull up behind Brittany and Justin's.

"Our ride is here!" Simon called to his siblings and friends. He had a feeling this was going to be a long night; he just wanted to get it over with.

…

**The Party**

**8:02**

Brittany smiled as Justin pulled her close for another photo. She had colorful spots blurring her vision from all the camera flashes, but she didn't care. Brittany was determined to get in every picture she could at the party; she looked good and she wanted everyone to know it.

Thankfully the endless photo shoot didn't upset Justin; he seemed to enjoy it just as much as Brittany did. He was eagerly posing with her in every photo, even kissing her cheek in a few. This made her love Justin even more. She couldn't think of many guys who would gladly pose with their girlfriends for party pictures.

In addition to all the camera attention, people were constantly complementing their costumes. People kept saying things like, "Oh, I get it: Britney and Justin. That's cute!"

_Take that, Alvin,_ Brittany thought as a young starlet told her how much she looked like Britney "all dressed up like that."

However, Alvin was having a great time himself. He was amusing people with his Axl Rose impressions and (slightly exaggerated) stories about being on the road this summer.

"So far I think the mid-west girls are my favorite," Alvin said to a group of guys. "I mean, they seem the most willing if you know what I mean."

The group laughed, but Simon, who had been with Alvin the whole time, nudged his brother in the ribs.

"You do know that this is going to leak out, right?" Simon hissed in Alvin's ear. "Dave isn't going to appreciate this, and you're on thin ice as it is."

Alvin rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. You know, I was looking forward to Dave not being around, but I didn't think I'd need to worry about my own brother lecturing me."

"I'm just trying to make sure you don't make a fool of yourself," Simon said flatly.

The oldest Seville brother sighed. "Look, I know what I'm doing, okay? It's not a big deal."

"What about girls out west, Seville?" a guy dressed like a Musketeer asked.

"Alvin," Simon said in a warning tone.

"Don't you have something else to do?" Alvin muttered fiercely. He turned back to his small crowd. "Are you talking about West _coast_ or Vegas ladies?"

Simon sighed in defeat. Alvin had an audience, and he wasn't about to let morals effect that.

Simon was about to look for his other friends when he bumped into someone.

"Pardon me," Simon muttered.

"Excuse me!" the other person said at the same time.

Simon looked up to see a guy about his age dressed like Thomas Edison. The guy smiled, and he and Simon said, "Great costume," in unison.

"You actually know who I am?" the boy asked in amazement.

"Of course," Simon confirmed. "Thomas Edison, one of my favorite American inventors. There's no mistaking him."

The guy smiled. "I've been here almost two hours and everyone thinks I'm Thomas Jefferson. You're the first person to get it right!"

Simon chuckled. "I'm Simon Seville," he said, shaking Edison's hand.

"Oh right," the teen said. "From the Chipmunks. I'm Kenny Paulson. I'm going to be on a new show on The History Channel aimed at teenagers. The cast and I travel different historical sites across America."

"Fascinating," Simon said, automatically intrigued.

"That's really the only reason I'm at this party," Kenny explained. "I guess I'm somehow considered an up-and-coming star, so I got invited. I live here, so I figured I'd check it out. But it just reminded me that parties aren't exactly my thing."

"I feel the same way," Simon said, ecstatic that there was another sane person at this party. "So when does your show debut? I'd like to check it out."

"This fall," Kenny answered. "Actually, we just finished filming our Albert Einstein episode."

"Really?" Simon's eyes got wide.

And that's how Simon ended up talking about Albert Einstein for three hours.

He had no idea Jeanette was on the other side of the party looking for him.

Actually, Jeanette was looking for any familiar face. She would've even settled being with Alvin at the moment; somehow she had gotten separated from her friends, and was now awkwardly walking around the large room.

"Oops!" she said, running into a couple grinding against each other to the Usher song blaring from the huge speakers. They were so focused on each other, they didn't even notice Jeanette had bumped into them. Jeanette guessed it had something to do with the fact the girl was dressed as a Playboy bunny.

She finally managed to get away from the crowd and leaned against the wall. She was reminded how much she hated parties.

"Hey," came a voice next to her. Jeanette looked to her right to see a good-looking guy in a Zorro costume. "Nice outfit."

"Thanks," Jeanette said, slightly embarrassed that her admirer's eyes were scanning her body.

"You're in that Chipmunk group, right?" the guy asked.

"Um, right," Jeanette said. "The Chipettes."

"I'm Ivan," he said, flashing a bright, white smile. "Do you want to join some of my friends and I for some drinks?" He nodded his head toward a group of equally good-looking people sitting on red leather couches.

Jeanette smiled and politely said, "Well, I'm kind of looking for someone…"

"So why don't you take a break and hang out with us?" Ivan suggested.

Jeanette looked at the loud, crowded room and then at the comfortable-looking couches.

"I guess I am a little thirsty," Jeanette admitted.

Ivan's face brightened. "Great! Right this way." When he and Jeanette walked toward his friends, he said, "By the way, I didn't catch your name."

"Jeanette," she said. "Jeanette Miller."

"Nice name," Ivan said with a smirk, the same kind of smirk Alvin often displayed.

_Maybe this isn't such a good idea after all,_ Jeanette thought.

**10:54**

Time went by quickly for Brittany, who was having a ball posing for pictures and chatting it up with other famous people. She was in the middle of a conversation with a future Olympic gymnast dressed as a butterfly when she heard something blaring from the nearby stage.

"WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE!" a voice screamed as loud guitar music played. "WE'VE GOT FUN AND GAMES! WE'VE GOT EVERYTHING YOU WANT, HONEY WE KNOW THE NAMES!"

Brittany looked up to see Alvin jumping around stage like an idiot.

"What is he doing?" she sighed, rolling her eyes to the ceiling.

"It looks like he entered the karaoke contest," Justin said.

"He's awesome!" a guy nearby said.

"Yeah," the gymnast/butterfly agreed. "Not to mention, he's pretty cute."

Brittany's hands balled into fists. It pained her to admit it, but as stupid as Alvin looked, the audience was eating the performance up.

"Watch it bring you to your sha-na-na-na-na-na-na knees! Knees!" Alvin continued screaming. "I wanna watch you bleed!"

"People are actually enjoying this?" Brittany muttered.

She watched Alvin imitate Axl Rose's famous sway and scream his head off. He reaching his hands out to the crowd, and dozens of screaming girls would dive forward to touch him.

Brittany figured all the girls were drunk. They would have to be; after all, it wasn't a concert, it was just a stupid karaoke contest. Why was everyone freaking out over this?

"IT'S GONNA BRING YOU DOWN!" Alvin shouted into the microphone. Then he did something that Brittany wasn't expecting. "HUH!"

Alvin jumped forward into the audience. Miraculously, he was caught.

This, of course, made everyone explode with cheers.

"You've got to admit," Justin said. "That was impressive."

"Not as impressive as _this_ is going to be," Brittany said, her mouth working faster than her brain.

Justin gave Brittany a confused look as she handed him her drink and marched up to the stage. A man was on-stage saying, "Well, _that _performance is going to hard to beat! But the night is young… any takers? Anyone?"

"Me!" Brittany shouted, raising her hand. She pushed passed a few girls who had clearly been waiting to sing longer than she had. Brittany knew it was rude, but she didn't care; she had to do this _now,_ while the adrenaline was still flowing.

The man looked at Brittany and said, "Britney Spears, I didn't know you were going to be here! Come on up!"

People clapped as Brittany took the steps two at a time to reach the stage. Her heart pounded with adrenaline when she found the song she was looking for on the playlist. Brittany selected the song and waited until the famous piano notes played…

_Dun dun dun!_

"Oh baby, baby…"

Before she knew it, Brittany fell into the _…Baby One More Time_ dance routine. Brittany was suddenly extremely grateful that she had spent hours in her bedroom as a kid learning the dance from the music video. Who knew it would come in this handy?

Finally Brittany sang the very last words, "Hit me baby one more time!" and ended the dance facing the audience with her right arm thrust toward the ceiling. The audience clapped and whistled, giving her the confidence to blow kisses and yell, "Thank you!"

The man came back on stage and enthusiastically said, "Wow that was fun! Ms. Spears would certainly be proud of that tribute!"

Eleanor watched her sister make her way down the stairs, waving to her adoring fans. The second Alvin stepped on the stage, Eleanor knew Brittany would enter the contest as soon as she could. Her sister just couldn't let Alvin win, even when they weren't even technically competing to begin with.

She was thinking about Brittany when she was suddenly pushed forward by someone behind her.

"Hey!" Eleanor yelped. She turned around to be face-to-face with Jeanette. "Oh, hi Jeanette. Where have you been all night? I haven't seen you since…"

Eleanor's voice trailed off when she realized there was definitely something wrong with her sister. There was a goofy grin on Jeanette's face, and her footing was unsteady; she kept swaying back and forth.

"Jeanette," Eleanor said in a low voice. "Have you been drinking?"

Jeanette just giggled. Eleanor could smell the alcohol on her breath. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Jeanette, her straight-laced, innocent sister, was drunk. She was speechless.

"I'm gonna enter the slinging contest," Jeanette slurred. "My friends inspired me to let loose so that's what I'm doin'!"

Eleanor noticed a couple of guys laughing a few feet away. She had a feeling they had something to do with the situation.

"So who is our next contestant?" the man onstage asked.

"Me!" Jeanette yelled. She raised her arm, hitting a guy dressed like Tarzan in the face. "Me! Me!"

"Jeanette!" Eleanor hissed as people started to look their way. Eleanor grabbed Jeanette's arm and pulled it down.

But it was too late.

The announcer squinted his eyes from the lights onstage and looked in their direction. "Do we have a volunteer?"

"Yesh you do!" Jeanette giggled. "Right over—"

Eleanor used her hand to cover her sister's mouth. "We have to get out of here," she said, quickly pulling Jeanette away from the crowd.

"But Ellie," Jeanette whined, "I wanna sing!"

"Not now," Eleanor said firmly, her maternal instincts kicking in. She dragged her unbalanced sister through the groups of people, searching for a familiar face (she wasn't sure where Theodore had run off to). Finally she saw Simon talking to a boy she didn't recognize.

"Really?" Eleanor heard Simon saying. "You think he was the best president?"

"I do," the boy said with a nod. "He was easily the most—"

"Sorry to interrupt," Eleanor said when she reached them. "But Simon, we have a problem." She nodded toward Jeanette.

"H-hi Simon," Jeanette said, giving an awkward little wave. Only this time she seemed even more awkward than usual.

Simon's eyes widened. "Is she…?"

Eleanor sighed. "Yes. Very."

Simon glanced at his watch. It was well passed eleven o'clock, and Dave was going to be picking them up at midnight. He figured they should probably get ready to go anyway.

"It was nice talking to you Kenny," Simon said, shaking his new friend's hand. "I'm sorry to cut our conversation short, but I should be going."

"I understand," Kenny said politely. "We'll keep in touch."

"Absolutely," Simon agreed.

As soon as Kenny left, Jeanette blurted, "Wow, he's kinda cute!" She laughed with Simon and Eleanor looked at her in surprise. "Don't worry, he's not as cute as you Simon." Jeanette draped her arm over Eleanor's shoulder.

Simon blushed, but tried to shake the comment off. Jeanette was intoxicated and obviously didn't know what she was talking about.

"Eleanor, you look for the others and tell them we have to get out of here before the media sees Jeanette like this," Simon said.

Eleanor nodded. She hadn't even thought about the paparazzi finding Jeanette like this; a headline exposing her drunken sister would be humiliating for Jeanette, not to mention how much trouble she would be in with Dave.

"What are we going to do with Jeanette?" Eleanor asked.

Simon looked at the tipsy Chipette and sighed. Her eyes were glazed over as she held on tightly to Eleanor, probably so she wouldn't fall over.

"I'll take care of her," Simon said.

"Okay," Eleanor agreed, gently pushing Jeanette toward him. "I'll hurry."

Eleanor took off to find the others. Luckily she ran right into Theodore.

"Theodore," Eleanor said quickly. "Jeanette had too much to drink, so we have to leave now."

"Too much to drink?" Theodore sounded confused. "Did she get a stomach ache?"

Eleanor sighed. She wasn't in the mood for one of Theodore's naïve moments. "No, she's drunk. Look, just help me find Alvin and Brittany, okay?"

"Okay," Theodore agreed, trying to process what he just heard. "You said Jeanette is drunk?"

"Yeah," Eleanor said as they weaved through the crowd. "Pretty hard to believe, huh?"

Theodore nodded.

Meanwhile Brittany was still reeling from her impromptu musical performance. She loved all the attention she was getting; people were giving her compliments and asking how she knew the dance in the first place. The taste of stardom was driving her wild.

So obviously she was less than pleased when she was suddenly jerked away from her adoring fans by Eleanor.

"Let go of me!" Brittany wailed. Eleanor pulled her sister to a more private area and finally released her. "What the hell was that for, Eleanor?"

"We have to leave," Eleanor said urgently.

"Why?" Brittany asked, sensing that something wasn't quite right.

"It's Jeanette," Eleanor said quietly. She glanced around a few times before saying, "She's drunk."

Brittany's jaw dropped. "What? No way. Not Jeanette!"

Eleanor's large brown eyes had a hint of sadness to them. "I couldn't make this up, Brittany. We need to go before people find out."

Brittany rolled her eyes and sighed heavily. She didn't want to leave yet; she was having such an amazing time. But she knew what she had to do.

Brittany glanced at a nearby clock and realized that she would have had to get ready to go now anyway. It was almost 11:30.

"I'll meet you outside in a few minutes," Brittany said. "Let me go get Justin."

"Okay," Eleanor said. She and Theodore took off to find Alvin.

Brittany walked up to Justin, who was laughing at something a guy with spiky green hair just said. He stumbled a bit, obviously slightly tipsy.

"Hey Justin," Brittany said, leaning against him. "We should probably get going."

Justin looked at Brittany and grinned. "Good one, Britt."

Brittany sighed. "Unfortunately, I'm serious. Dave wants me and the others to be in by midnight, remember?"

Justin's smile morphed into a frown. "I don't think I count as one of the 'others,' babe."

"Well I just figured since you came with me as my _date_ that we would come and go _together_," Brittany said, her patience running thin.

"Brittany," Justin said slowly, as if he was talking to a kindergartener, "This is a big time party that's going to last a good five or six hours longer. I can't just pass that up."

"Not even for me?" Brittany asked, her heart feeling heavy.

Justin sighed. "Look, this is a big deal to me Brittany. People have connections here, you know? I need to network." He took a long gulp of beer. "I'll meet up with you tomorrow, okay?"

"Whatever," Brittany said before stomping away. He wouldn't even be at the stupid party if it wasn't for her, and now he was just ditching her? Brittany didn't know what to think.

Simon and Jeanette were outside the building. Jeanette was lying on a bench, half asleep. Simon stood above her, unsure what to make of the bizarre situation.

Why would Jeanette do this to herself? He hated seeing her look so… helpless. Plus he had no idea how he was going to handle this with Dave. He could tell Dave the truth immediately and let Jeanette receive a punishment, or he could try to hide her behavior from Dave. Simon certainly didn't want Jeanette to get in trouble, especially when this was the first time she had ever done anything wrong.

Simon's thoughts were interrupted when his cell phone rang.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Hi Simon," Dave said.

"Dave!" Simon exclaimed. He immediately told himself to relax and cleared his throat. "Hello."

"How is the party?" Dave asked. "It seems pretty quiet."

"I stepped outside for some fresh air," Simon said, looking at Jeanette.

"Can I talk ta him?" Jeanette asked lazily. Her eyelids fluttered as if she was trying to keep them from closing.

"The reason I called was to tell you that I can't come pick you up," Dave said. "I still have some paper work to finish, and I want to get it done tonight. I sent a cab to come get you, and it should be there any time now."

"Great!" Simon blurted. "I mean, that's terrific. We're getting ready to leave, so it's great timing."

"Simon," Dave said. "Are you alright?"

"Of course," Simon quickly answered. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, you just seem… never mind," Dave said. "Look, I'll see you soon. And please make sure everyone gets in the cab on time; I want everyone back here at midnight."

Simon knew that "everyone" meant Alvin. Little did Dave know that it was the shy, sweet girl who had gotten out of hand tonight, not his usual rule-breaking son.

"We'll be ready," Simon confirmed.

"I know," Dave said. Simon could tell he was smiling. "You're all good kids."

"We sure are," Simon nervously agreed as he watched Jeanette stare ahead with a vacant expression.

After exchanging brief good-byes, Simon hung up the phone and joined Jeanette on the bench. He squirmed when he noticed Jeanette was staring at him, her blue-green eyes glassy and her mouth turned into a crooked smile.

"Ya know Simon, there's been something I've wanted to say to you for a while," she said.

"Oh?" Simon scooted back a bit, feeling more than uncomfortable. He had to remind himself that this wasn't the Jeanette he knew; she wasn't herself. Her mind and body had been taken over by alcohol and she didn't know what she was talking about. She probably wouldn't even remember any of this in a few hours. "What's that?"

Jeanette giggled. "Well, the truth is…" Jeanette paused as her eyes widened. "Uh oh."

"Jeanette?" Simon raised his eyebrows. "What's the matter?"

"I think I'm gonna be…"

Before Simon could react, Jeanette leaned toward him and vomited. Simon gasped and moved his feet out of the way, but it was too late. His shoes were ruined.

Trying to remain calm, Simon smoothed back stray pieces of hair out of Jeanette's face as she did her business. Watching all this made Simon want to barf as well.

When Jeanette was finished, she looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "S-sorry Simon."

Simon forced himself to give a reassuring smile. Maybe the real Jeanette was still there.

"It's fine," Simon said. "Don't worry, we're going to get you home soon."

"But the party is just getting started," Jeanette pointed out in a wobbly voice.

Simon sighed. Okay, maybe she wasn't recovering as quickly as he thought.

Simon heard doors open. He turned around to see Alvin practically getting dragged out by the others.

"Come on, you guys!" Alvin yelled. "We still have at least twenty more minutes! I need to watch my competition for the contest!"

Luckily, a cab pulled up at the same moment. Simon rushed over to confirm it was the one Dave had sent for them; it was.

As Simon made his way back over, Brittany looked horrified.

"Ew!" she squealed. "Simon, who puked on your shoes?"

"Take a wild guess," Simon muttered, nodding toward Jeanette.

Simon watched Brittany's disgusted expression morph into a sympathetic look. "Oh Jeanette," she said softly. Simon knew Brittany could be a pain, but she did care about her sisters. He knew she must hate seeing Jeanette like this.

"Wow," Alvin said, staring at Jeanette. "You guys weren't kidding. She's totally trashed!"

"Come on," Eleanor said. "We need to get out of here."

"I'm not sitting next to Puke Shoes," Alvin said, gesturing at his brother's loafers.

Simon ignored Alvin as he and Brittany helped Jeanette to her feet. They practically had to shove her into the small car, but they managed to quickly head for their hotel. The driver looked a little confused that Jeanette was coming in and out of a sleep, but he didn't ask any questions. The only thing he was really interested in was getting paid.

Finally they reached the hotel. The driver was paid and the six teens quietly entered the hotel. Since it was late, there was hardly anyone in the lobby but employees. Alvin and Simon were practically carrying Jeanette, but no one was really paying attention to the them.

Simon was thinking about how lucky they were when he suddenly stopped in his tracks. Walking over toward the group was none other than Dave.

He felt Brittany grip his arm. "Simon!" she hissed. "What do we do?"

Simon turned to see Jeanette's head nodding forward slightly. It was obvious that she was still heavily intoxicated. Dave would definitely notice.

Simon gently pushed Jeanette toward her sisters. "Take her to your room," Simon said. "We'll take care of everything."

"We will?" Alvin asked.

Brittany and Eleanor nodded, but looked panicked as Dave came closer. They would have to go passed him to get to the elevator.

"Take the stairs," Alvin suggested, pointing toward the staircase to their left.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea," Eleanor said warily as she held on to her unsteady sister.

"It's the only chance you have of hiding her from Dave," Alvin reminded them.

Brittany sighed. "Let's go." The boys watched as the Chipettes hurried toward the stairs.

Dave finally came up to the boys. He looked puzzled.

"Why are the girls taking the stairs?" he asked.

"Exercise," Alvin blurted. "I mean, you know how Brittany is about fitness. She just wants to stay in shape for the tour, so she and the girls have been using stairs more often."

Dave raised an eyebrow. "Okay." Suddenly his gaze reached Simon's vomit-covered shoes. "Simon! What happened to your shoes?"

"Jeanette threw up on them," Theodore said without thinking. His brothers instantly glared at him.

Dave looked worried. "What's wrong with Jeanette? Is she sick or something?"

"Yes," Simon said, before his brothers could say anything. "She ate something bad at the party. In fact, she still isn't feeling well, and she probably won't feel well in the morning either."

"So Jeanette _is_ sick?" Dave asked, obviously alarmed. He started to turn around. "I'd better go check on her."

"No!" all three brothers exclaimed.

Dave turned to face his sons. "But you said she got sick."

"She did," Alvin said. "I mean, she _is._ But you shouldn't bother her. What she really needs is some rest."

"I don't know," Dave said. "What if it's something serious?"

"It's not," Simon said coolly. "Your intentions to check up on her are admirable, but you should leave her alone to sleep."

To Simon's surprise, Dave nodded. "I suppose you're right. Well, I'd ask how the party went, but you boys are probably exhausted. We'll talk about it tomorrow."

"Of course," Simon said, feeling relief. "Good night, Dave."

"Good night, fellas," Dave said with a smile.

After the boys watched the elevator doors close on their father, they each let out a huge sigh of relief.

"Way to go Theodore," Alvin said sarcastically. "You almost blew it."

"Sorry!" Theodore wailed. "You know I'm not a good liar!"

"It's fine, Theodore," Simon said. "The important thing is that we got away with this."

Simon instantly felt guilty the moment the words left his mouth.

Alvin grinned. "Doesn't it feel _good _to get away with stuff, Simon?"

Simon's eyes narrowed. "Not really."

"Right," Alvin said as they started to walk toward the elevator. "Well, at least your girlfriend isn't going to get in trouble."

"She's not my girlfriend," Simon was quick to point out.

"Not _yet_," Alvin said. "But she will be. We all know it's bound to happen."

"Sort of like you and Brittany?" Simon asked with a sly grin.

Alvin frowned as he pushed the UP button on the elevator. "That's not funny."

Simon shrugged. His mind instantly thought of earlier that night when Jeanette said she had something to tell him. Was she going to confess her feelings for him? Perhaps the alcohol gave her the courage to do so. What if the only reason she drank was to feel relaxed so she could tell him how she felt? Simon would feel terrible if that was true.

The elevator doors opened and Simon shook the thoughts from his mind. Jeanette probably didn't even like him to begin with. He was just a good friend.

Then again, there was that time at the party last month when they had danced together and almost kissed. That wasn't a typical activity for people who were "just friends."

Simon leaned against the wall in the elevator. Jeanette was driving him crazy and she didn't even know it. He couldn't help but wonder if he was driving her crazy as well.

* * *

**Again, sorry for the delay. But the chapter is finally out and I hoped it met your standards (it didn't meet mine, but then again, nothing I write ever does). Please send a review my way and tell me what you thought!**


	14. Chapter 14: Revelations and Realizations

**A/N: **Most of you know that this story bugs me and I'm not very excited about writing it. However, after writing over three hours nonstop today (I had the day off), I think I brought it back at a point where I find it interesting again. There's a big revelation in this chapter (well, for one character), as well as a treat toward the end that I think many of you will enjoy.

Sorry if this is crappily (is that a word?) edited, but it's late and I just want to get this published as soon as possible. Hope ya like it!

* * *

**Sunday, July 13**

**10:55 AM**

Jeanette closed her eyes, desperately wishing her head ache would disappear. She was lying in the bed in the back of the RV. She told Dave she didn't feel well, and she definitely was telling the truth about that. However, she didn't mention that it was a hangover that was causing her to feel so ill.

There was a light knock on the door, prompting Jeanette to sit up and open her eyes.

"Come in," she said, putting her glasses on.

Simon entered, giving her a warm smile. It would be the first time they'd spoken since last night. Usually Jeanette would be glad to see Simon, but now she was dreading it. She couldn't remember everything that happened the night before, but Brittany and Eleanor had told her enough that made her want to hide in her room for the rest of her life.

"Hi," Simon said kindly. He sat next to her. "I just wanted to see how you were doing. We've been on the road for two hours and you haven't come out."

"I'm fine," Jeanette said, unable to make eye contact. "I just… need some time alone."

"Do you need anything to help any pain?"

"I just took some Aspirin," Jeanette said. She took a deep breath. "Look, Simon, I'm really sorry about throwing up on your shoes."

Simon smiled. "Don't worry about it. They were old anyway."

"You're not mad?" Jeanette asked skeptically.

Simon shrugged. "No, not about the shoes. I would, however, like to know why you drank any alcohol in the first place."

Jeanette sighed. It was time for the embarrassing part.

"Simon," she said, "the truth is that I didn't even _know_ I was drinking alcohol."

Simon frowned. "How could you not have known?"

"I didn't!" Jeanette claimed. "These guys gave me some fruity drinks, and I thought they were just some kind of juice. One minute everything was fine, but after a few drinks, I started to feel… different." Jeanette ran a hand through her thick dark hair. "I'm sorry, Simon. I'm so stupid."

"You're not stupid," Simon said, putting his arm around her. Jeanette felt her heart flutter in her chest. "You just made a mistake. Besides, it's not like you're a party girl or anything. You didn't know what you were drinking."

"I should have checked though," Jeanette murmured. "I should have known…"

"Relax, Jeanette," Simon said gently. "It's over, okay? You're alright now, and nobody found out about it. You can move on."

Jeanette nodded and turned her lips into weak half-smile "Thank you Simon."

"You're welcome," Simon replied.

"So, um, Simon…" Jeanette said slowly.

"Yes?"

"Did I, uh, say or do anything else last night that was, well… out of character?"

Simon thought for a moment. "Well, you did volunteer yourself to enter the karaoke contest."

"Ellie mentioned that," Jeanette sighed. "Thank goodness she stopped me. Anything else?"

Simon pursed his lips. "No."

Jeanette almost laughed. "Oh come on, Simon. I was… _drunk_." She cringed. That was an adjective she never thought she'd have to use to describe herself. "There had to be_ something_ else I did that wasn't Jeanette-like."

"Well," Simon said hesitantly, "you did say I was cute…"

"What?" Jeanette felt her face begin to burn.

"It's not a big deal," Simon said quickly. "I mean, you were under the influence. It obviously didn't mean anything." Simon looked at her carefully. "Right?"

Jeanette bit her bottom lip. This was it. This was a perfect opportunity for her to confess how she felt about Simon. She could say something right now and end this stressful situation…

"Right," Jeanette blurted. "I mean, yeah, I wasn't myself, you know?"

She turned away, feeling more flustered than before (if that was even possible).

Simon cleared his throat. "Of course," he said, obviously feeling uncomfortable. "Well, I'm glad you're feeling better."

"Thanks," Jeanette said. She mentally cursed herself for sounding so ridiculous.

"I'll be with the others if you need anything," Simon said. He stood up and left before Jeanette could say anything else.

Jeanette groaned and lied back on the bed. She wondered how she could be so stupid. Why couldn't she just tell him how she felt? What was the worst that could happen?

_Rejection, humiliation, and devastation,_ Jeanette reminded herself.

But Jeanette knew she had to get over it. She then made the decision that she would confess to Simon by the end of the summer. It might not be today, tomorrow, or even this week, but she had to tell him by the end of the tour. She just had to.

Meanwhile, her friends and sisters were in the front of the bus. The mood was surprisingly quiet and calm; the teens were still reeling from their long night.

Brittany sat in the booth flipping through pages in the local paper. She was delighted to see her and Justin on the front of the entertainment section. There was a large colored photo of them under the headline _The Next Britney and Justin?_ A caption underneath read: _Chipette lead singer Brittany Miller gets cozy with drummer Justin Tucker at last night's celebrity costume party._

Brittany couldn't stop staring at the picture. She and Justin looked amazing together and now everyone could see it.

However, this would be a sweeter moment if he hadn't blown her off last night. He sent her a text with a simple apology (srry 4 last nite), and she had written back that she forgave him. After all, she was planning on dedicating a song to him at their concert on Friday night in Orlando. The only ones who knew about it were her sisters, who were singing back-up, and Dave, who she had to get permission from. Brittany couldn't wait to surprise everyone by officially announcing that she and Justin were a couple. She swooned just thinking about it.

"Sooo Brittany," Eleanor cooed from the "kitchen" booth. "Are you really the next Britney?"

Brittany scoffed. "_Puh-lease_, Eleanor. That Spears girl has nothin' on me."

She didn't even need to look at Alvin to know he was rolling his eyes. They had always been more rivals than friends, but lately things had been extra tense between the two of them. Alvin insulted her less often, but when he did, they were full of venom. Usually Alvin's teasing wouldn't bother Brittany so much; it was often more annoying than cruel. But lately it seemed like Alvin was just being mean.

Brittany knew why Alvin was acting this way. Justin had obviously gotten under his skin somehow. She still figured that Alvin was just jealous of the fact that Justin was just as cool and talented as Alvin was.

"It's a nice picture of you guys," Theodore said, biting into a donut.

"It would be nicer on fire," Alvin muttered from his seat.

Brittany whipped her head around, her ponytail making a quiet _whoosh _sound as she turned.

"You're just jealous that Justin's picture made the paper and yours didn't," Brittany accused.

Alvin frowned. "I don't care about a stupid picture. Let the kid have his ten minutes of fame. That's all he wanted anyway."

It was Brittany's turn to frown. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Forget it," Alvin sighed. He knew that since Justin had got what he wanted from Brittany, it was only a matter of time until he dumped her. "Don't worry your pretty little empty head. Just enjoy it while it lasts, 'cause it isn't going to last much longer."

"You might as well be speaking Chinese," Brittany said, her icy blue eyes narrowing. How dare he call her empty-headed? "I still don't understand what you're talking about. What's not going to last much longer?"

"I think you know what I'm talking about," Alvin said casually.

"Alvin," Theodore piped up, "what _are_ you talking about?"

Brittany had forgotten that Eleanor and the rest of the Chipmunks could see and hear everything she and Alvin were doing.

"Nothing," Alvin said, opening a new issue of _Sports Illustrated._ "I really should stop wasting my time."

Brittany looked at Eleanor and Theodore, who were exchanging confused glances. Simon watched Alvin, but looked like he was focused on something else entirely.

Brittany sighed and stared at the adorable picture of her and her boyfriend. She knew what Alvin was talking about the whole time; she just tried to play dumb in front of the others. For some reason Alvin was trying to convince her that Justin would dump her after he got famous. Brittany giggled just thinking about it.

"What's so funny, Britt?" asked Eleanor.

Brittany wanted to answer, "Alvin's stupidity," but decided against it. She was done arguing with him. She was done talking to him period.

"I just thought of a funny joke I heard earlier," Brittany replied to her sister. She didn't think of it as a lie either; Alvin _was_ a joke to her. A big, stupid, jealous joke.

**Friday, July 18**

**9:33 PM**

**Orlando, FL**

Brittany practically skipped around backstage. The concert was going flawlessly, despite the fact that the only thing she could think about was her song she was going to perform to Justin.

"From this moment," Brittany quietly sung to herself, "life has begun. From this moment you are the one. Right beside you is where I belong. From this moment on."

Brittany dreamily hummed the Shania Twain tune she was planning on singing in a few minutes. She and her sisters would be closing out the show with an A Cappella version of the song, just like she had requested. While the Chipmunks were singing a few songs on stage, the Chipettes were headed for their dressing rooms for a quick make-up fix.

However, Brittany's sisters looked confused as she passed their room.

"Where are you going, Britt?" Eleanor asked.

"To get Justin," Brittany answered without stopping. The band was technically done for the night, and in their dressing room. Brittany didn't want Justin to miss this.

Things had been a little off between her and Justin lately. The last few days, whenever she wanted to hang out with him, he'd say that he had to rehearse or that he was hanging out with Doug and Milo. They still texted, but Justin had been ending the conversations abruptly with no explanation.

This only made Brittany more excited about dedicating a song to him. It would patch things up between them for sure. She would be reminding Justin about how strong their relationship was, and things would go back to being perfect.

When Brittany got to the room, she quietly turned the door knob. She opened the door slightly, but stopped when she saw Justin on his cell phone. She figured it would be best if she didn't interrupt him; the Chipmunks would be singing a few songs, so she had some time to spare.

Justin's back was turned toward the door, so Brittany could see his face. She heard him laugh, the same adorable laugh he gave when she said something funny.

"I know, I know," Justin sighed into the phone. "Don't worry, Meg. This thing is almost over and I'll come home to you."

Brittany frowned. Who is Meg?

_Maybe it's just a sister,_ Brittany thought, trying to convince herself not to get so worked up over nothing. _Didn't Justin mention that he had a sister? No, that was Doug… wait a minute._

She froze. Didn't Alvin mention something about a Megan? Wasn't Megan the name of Justin's alleged girlfriend. Was Meg a nickname?

"Well I already got my picture and name in the paper," Justin was saying. "I figure I might use her for a few more days and then she's out."

Brittany's hand tightened on the door handle. She suddenly felt light-headed.

Justin laughed again and said, "I'm telling you, Megan, this worked out perfectly. I'm glad you're cool enough to let me do this."

Each word made Brittany's heart ache more.

"Yeah, well, I love you too," Justin said. "Don't worry, babe. Just a few more days, and I won't have to sneak around just to talk to you on the phone anymore."

He might as well have just kicked her in the stomach…

"Okay, well, I gotta go watch the finale." Justin snickered. "Rumor has it that she's going to sing a song for me or something." He scoffed. "Yeah, I know. Well, I'll talk to you soon. Love you."

Brittany let go of the door and leaned against the wall. She felt sick, and for a moment she thought she was going to throw up.

"He doesn't love me," she whispered. "He never did. He was just using me."

_Just like Alvin said,_ she added silently.

Tears began to form. Not only was the guy of her dreams a total fake, but Alvin had been right all along.

She gasped in surprise as Justin's door swung open. He grinned when he saw her.

"Hi Britt," he said, as if nothing was wrong. He looked at her closer. "Are you okay?"

Brittany's brain was sent into overdrive, trying to debate what to do. Should she let him know that she had heard him, or should she play it cool for now? This made her feel even more upset, if that was even possible.

"Brittany?" Justin looked at her carefully. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," Brittany blurted, rubbing her eyes. "During our last act, Jeanette poked me in the eye, hence the water works."

"Oh," Justin said. "Do you need anything?"

"No, I'm fine." Brittany inwardly panicked, realizing she was set to do a song dedicated to a guy who didn't care about her. She didn't know what to do.

"So," Justin said slowly, "what are you doing on this side of the stage?"

"I, uh…" Brittany willed herself to think fast. An idea began to form in her head, and she decided then and there to go through with it. "I wanted to make sure you were going to watch the last act. I have something special planned."

Justin smiled that half-lidded smile. It used to make her melt, but it suddenly made her want to squirm.

"Sounds interesting," he said. "I wouldn't miss it."

"Great," was Brittany's quick response. She hurried toward her dressing room before he could lean down to kiss her or say anything else.

Brittany barged into the Chipette's dressing room, where her sisters had just finished applying a fresh layers of lip gloss and swipes of eye shadow.

"Brittany!" Jeanette said with wide eyes. "What took you so long? The make-up artists are getting impatient and we're on in a few…"

"Never mind that now," Brittany said, adrenaline taking over her petite body. She practically dragged Jeanette and Eleanor out of the small room, ignoring the head make-up artist calling her name.

"Are you okay, Britt?" Eleanor asked, her brown eyes looking worried.

"Change of plans," Brittany announced. "Scrap the Shania song, we're doing something else."

"Something else?" Jeanette squealed. "But we're on stage in less than a minute!"

"What are we going to sing?" Eleanor asked, looking as skeptical as Jeanette looked terrified.

"I… I don't know yet," Brittany admitted. "But we can't sing _From this Moment on_."

"Why not?" Jeanette asked.

"We just can't!" Brittany yelled, earning some curious looks from people working backstage.

Brittany watched her sisters blink in surprise and glance at each other with uncertainty.

"Brittany," Eleanor said in her motherly voice. "What's going on?"

"We need to change the song," Brittany said in a calmer voice, even though her heart was beating faster than ever.

"But Brittany!" Jeanette sounded miserable. "We haven't rehearsed anything else!"

The girls paused as the Chipmunks finished their song on stage. The crowd roared with applause as the boys bowed and yelled, "Thank you!" As the boys ran off, Dave came on-stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Dave said in his kind, yet strong voice. "I know that, according to the programs you received, that was the last act. But we have a little surprise for you tonight!" Dave grinned at Brittany off-stage, who was doing everything in her power to stop from shaking. "Brittany Miller, with the help of Eleanor and Jeanette, has a special song to sing for a special person in her life. Come on out, girls!"

None of the three Chipettes moved, despite the loud cheering from the crowded arena.

"What are we going to do, Brittany?" Eleanor asked. She was beginning to sound as nervous as Jeanette.

Brittany rolled her shoulders back and took a deep breath. She was Brittany Miller, lead singer of the Chipettes. She could do this. She could do anything.

"Girls?" Dave said above the loud cheering. He was smiling, but he was obviously wondering what was taking them so long to appear.

"Just follow my lead," Brittany said, sounding as confident as ever. When she strutted on to the stage, the audience's claps and hollers just fueled her fire.

Dave lowered the microphone for the Chipette. "Have fun," he whispered before disappearing backstage.

As the crowd died down, Brittany felt herself getting slightly more uncomfortable. The spotlight felt extra hot, and even though her sisters stood a few feet away, she felt so alone.

Her brain desperately searched for a song to sing; it had to be perfect for what she was about to do.

Brittany cleared her throat, as the room was practically silent now.

"Uh, hey everyone," Brittany said into the microphone. It was funny; she felt so small, but her microphone made her voice sound larger than life. It reminded her that she _was_ larger than life.

_So quit this mousy routine and kick some ass!_ Her mind screamed.

"Did you guys enjoy the show tonight?" Brittany asked the crowd, trying to stall. As they shouted, "YES!" she glanced to the side of the stage, where Justin was watching her. When she caught his eye, he smiled and gave a wink. Brittany's heart clenched, and she looked down at her cowgirl boots she still had on from her last song performed with her sisters.

Boots. _Boots, boots, boots._

_That's it._

A smile slowly spread across Brittany's face.

"The song I'm about to sing is dedicated to Justin Tucker," Brittany said, motioning toward the handsome boy. The spotlight focused on him, and he gave the crowd a modest wave, earning whistles and squeals from the girls in the audience.

"This song reflects where we're at in our relationship right now," Brittany went on. She couldn't help but glare at Justin's too-cute grin. He didn't notice because he was still waving to the crowd. "I hope you all like it. And feel free to sing along." She saw Justin raise his eyebrows at the last sentence. Inviting the audience to sing along to a love song she was personally singing to someone probably sounded strange to him.

Too bad she wasn't singing a love song.

Brittany clutched the microphone tighter. This was it. If Justin thought _he_ was going to break up with _her_, he had another thing coming. She wouldn't let him get away with this.

She glanced at her sisters and winked, signaling that everything would be okay. She mouthed the words, "Just follow my lead," and turned toward the expectant audience.

Everything was going to turn out just fine.

"You keep sayin' you've got something for me," Brittany sang loudly. "Something you call love, but confess."

As Brittany continued to sing, she heard a mummer of confusion go through the crowd. A small wave of doubt passed through her, but she refused to give up.

_"These boots are made for walkin'._

_And that's just what they'll do._

_One of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you."_

Brittany's eyes widened when she suddenly heard those familiar guitar chords that went with the song. She glanced off stage and saw Alvin strumming away.

Brittany smiled as she continued:

"_You keep lying, when you oughta be truthin'_

_ And you keep losin' when you oughta not bet."_

Jeanette and Eleanor leaned into their microphones and harmonized with Brittany's lead vocals. This gave Brittany even more confidence as she started moving around stage.

"Sing along everyone!" she encouraged.

"_You keep samin' when you oughta be changin'._

_ Now what's right is right,_

_ But you ain't been right yet"_

The audience was singing so loud by the time she got to the chorus, Brittany could hardly hear herself. And for a rare time in her life, she was okay with that.

She looked directly at Justin, whose jaw was hanging open. She gave him a wicked grin that she hoped would say everything: "I know what you've been up to and this is my revenge."

_"You keep playin' where you shouldn't be playin'._

_And you keep thinkin' that you'll never get burnt."_

Brittany, who was standing only a few feet away from Justin, looked right at him when she yelled, "HA!"

As expected, this brought the crowd to laughter.

Brittany turned on her heel and confidently made her way across the big stage.

_"Well I've just found me a brand new box of matches, yeah._

_And what he knows, you ain't had time to learn."_

"Sing it!" Brittany shouted. She thrusted her microphone toward the audience and basked in their strong singing.

"THESE BOOTS ARE MADE FOR WALKIN'!"the crowd shouted. "AND THAT'S JUST WHAT THEY'LL DO! AND ONE OF THESE DAYS THESE BOOTS ARE GONNA WALK ALL OVER YOU!"

The guitar did its thing when Brittany brought the microphone close to her mouth.

"Are you ready, boots?" she said seductively. She stole another arrogant glance at her new ex-boyfriend. "Start walkin'!"

Even though there were usually trumpets blaring at this part of the song, Alvin somehow made a guitar work. Brittany watched Justin clench his fists at his sides before storming off backstage.

She had done it. She had won.

The audience went wild, standing up and chanting Brittany's name. Brittany smiled and threw her arms around her sisters.

"Thanks everyone!" Brittany yelled into the microphone. But then it hit her; the whole reason why she had been singing this song in the first place.

She had gotten her heart broken. And even though she had just humiliated Justin and got her "revenge," she suddenly felt as sad as the moment she heard him say "I love you" to someone else. The applause suddenly meant nothing to her; her energy had drained, making her feel helpless. Even though she had just gotten hundreds of preteens on her side, she suddenly just wanted to be alone.

As she hurried off the stage, Brittany saw that Dave was scratching his head, looking beyond confused.

"Brittany," he said as Brittany hurried over. "I thought you were going to sing a love song."

"Things change," Brittany replied without stopping. She ignored the claps and choruses of "Good jobs!" from the stage workers as she ran to her dressing room. When she got there, she slammed the door shut and threw herself down on the couch.

As the tears flowed, Brittany hated herself for pretending. The whole thing she had just done was an act. The audience thought she was such a strong, independent girl who had no problem seeking revenge on someone who cheated on her.

But she wasn't that girl. The people who had just watched her probably thought she was laughing it up backstage, lining up another date with a better guy. In reality, she was sitting alone in her dressing room bawling her eyes out. This made her cry even harder.

It also didn't help that Alvin of all people was right about Justin the whole time. He was right and she was wrong, and now she would have to hear about it for the rest of her life.

Things couldn't get any worse; and it was all because she didn't listen to Alvin.

**11:20 PM**

**Orlando Hotel**

"I still don't understand why Brittany would sing that song," Theodore was saying as he put toothpaste on his brush. "It doesn't seem very romantic to me."

"That's because it wasn't supposed to be romantic, Theodore," Simon said, sounding a little irritated that Theodore was still questioning Brittany's song choice. "Justin must've done something to upset her."

"But what?" Theodore said with his toothbrush in his mouth. "I mean, Justish sush a nish guy."

"I'm sure we'll find out soon enough," Simon sighed, obviously not excited about the drama that he would have to endure between Brittany and Justin.

Alvin, who was lying on his bed, had been unusually quiet since the group had arrived to the hotel. All he could think about was the fact that Brittany had found out about Justin.

Hundreds of questions swirled around in Alvin's mind. When had she found out? How did she find out? When was she going to admit that he had been right all along and she had been wrong?

Alvin had been tempted to rub it in Brittany's face with the whole "I told you so" speech, but something was holding him back. When they had gotten on the RV after the concert, Brittany was wearing sunglasses despite the dark weather. This obviously meant she had been crying. She then went to the little room in the back of the RV and shut the door. Jeanette and Eleanor were quiet too, but he could tell that Brittany hadn't spoken to them. He had a feeling that the only people who knew the whole Justin story were Brittany, Justin, and himself.

"Alvin," Theodore said after spitting in the sink. "Did you know that Brittany was going to do that boots song? You seemed pretty prepared with your guitar."

"No," Alvin said. "I didn't know." This was the truth. Alvin didn't even know Brittany was doing a song for Justin in the first place. But as soon as Brittany started singing, Alvin wanted to help. He had never liked Justin, so assisting in humiliating him was an opportunity he couldn't pass up.

"I didn't know you knew that song on guitar," Theodore said.

"Don't underestimate the master," Alvin said with a smirk. He realized that he was all ready for bed, except for his nightly hair brushing. He frowned when he saw it wasn't on the bathroom counter. He dug through his overnight bag nearby. "Crap."

"What's wrong?" Theodore asked.

Alvin sighed heavily. "I left my comb in the RV."

"Why don't you just comb your hair in the morning like a normal person?" Simon asked as he crawled into bed.

"I'm not a normal person," Alvin reminded him. "I'm Alvin Seville."

"Right," Simon yawned. "Forgive me for forgetting."

Alvin grabbed his spare RV keys from his bag. He had swiped them from Dave a few weeks ago, figuring they'd come in handy someday. As usual, he was right.

"Be right back," Alvin said, slipping into his sneakers.

"Take the room key," Simon said. "We'll probably be asleep by the time you get back, so you'll need to let yourself in."

Alvin rolled his eyes, but took the key card anyway. He slipped out into the bright hallway and took the elevator to the first floor. The lobby was eerily silent; the only person there besides Alvin was a tired-looking man reading _Time _magazine behind the front desk.

Once he got outside, Alvin tightened the strings of his hoodie. Even though they were in Orlando, the nights did tend to get a little chilly. He made his way toward the large familiar vehicle, but something made him stop.

A light was on in the RV.

"That's weird," Alvin muttered. To his knowledge, there was only one spare key to the vehicle, and he had it. So if there was someone in there, they had probably broken in.

Alvin debated whether to keep going or just go inside. But he knew the secret to his thick, sandy hair was combing it at night. And they had a show tomorrow night in Miami; Alvin just couldn't let the fans down by letting them see him with less-than-perfect hair.

So Alvin moved forward, boldly unlocking the vehicle when he got near it. He slowly climbed up the stairs and said, "Hello? Is anyone in here?"

No answer.

"Maybe someone just left the lights on," Alvin said to himself.

"Alvin?"

Alvin frowned. "Who's there?"

He made his way toward the back of the vehicle. His eyes widened when he saw who was curled up in the corner of the small room. Tears shone in her blue eyes.

"Brittany?" Alvin couldn't believe it.

"What are you doing here?" Brittany asked. Her voice sounded hoarse, and Alvin could tell that she had been crying for a long time.

"I came to get my comb," Alvin answered. He saw his comb on one of the shelves, but he didn't reach for it. "What are _you _doing here?"

Brittany aimed her tear-stained face at the mattress. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Fine," Alvin said with a shrug. "Fair enough. But how did you get in here?"

"I left it unlocked before we checked into the hotel." Brittany narrowed her eyes. "Anymore questions, Sherlock?"

"Nope." Alvin grabbed his comb. "I think we're done here."

He turned to leave when Brittany suddenly said, "You knew."

Alvin turned back around.

"You knew the whole time," Brittany continued. A shiny tear slide down her cheek. "You tried to warn me, but I didn't listen. If I would have just listened to you…" Brittany trailed off as she began to cry.

Alvin stared at her, unsure what to do. Part of him said that he should just get the hell out of there. But he didn't want to just leave her here like this. Alvin reluctantly set the comb on a table and sat by Brittany. He gently patted her back. Comforting wasn't exactly his "thing" but he figured he ought to do something.

"Y-you were right," Brittany sobbed. "I'm so st-stupid for not l-listing to you."

"You're not stupid," Alvin said quietly. "To be fair, why would you believe me? I mean, it's not like I'm exactly nice to you."

"But I…" Brittany took a breath to try to gain composure. "I should have known you wouldn't have lied to me about this. I… I just should've known."

To Alvin's surprise, Brittany gradually leaned her head on Alvin's chest. He was even more surprised when he gently wrapped his arms around her and let her sob. She was probably getting snot and tears all over his sweatshirt, but he found himself not caring.

"I loved him," Brittany blurted. "I really did. I'm such an idiot for thinking that he loved me."

"No you're not," Alvin said without thinking. Brittany looked up at him. "He's the idiot. He had a chance to get to know an awesome girl, and he threw it away just so a few more people would know his name."

Brittany sniffled. "You're just saying that," she muttered.

Alvin knew he could easily back out of this if he wanted to; but the thing was that he didn't want to.

"I meant every word," Alvin admitted. He sighed and said, "Besides, you got some good revenge on him tonight. You can sleep well knowing that."

Alvin felt Brittany shaking her head into his chest. "No. I thought that would make me feel better, but it doesn't. It did for a minute, but…" Brittany sighed. "It just hurts, you know? I feel like such a fool."

Alvin sighed again. It made him feel uncomfortable seeing her like this. He'd seen Brittany cry out of anger plenty of times, but he had never seen her so sad. Seeing her like this upset him, and he wasn't quite sure why.

"There are lots of other guys out there, Brittany," Alvin said, feeling like he was giving a speech on an after school special. "Don't worry about Justin. He's a loser, and you're way too good for him."

Brittany sat up and wiped her eyes. "I am?"

"Of course," Alvin said. "You're talented, fun, beautiful, strong, smart…" Alvin trailed off when he noticed Brittany grinning. "What?"

"You…" Brittany's light blue eyes gazed into Alvin's. "You just called me beautiful."

Alvin felt himself blush like mad. "I did?"

"Yeah," Brittany said in a soft voice that Alvin wasn't used to hearing. "I don't think anyone has ever called me that before. Fans call me pretty and hot and cute… but never beautiful. Not even Justin called me that."

"Yeah, well…" Alvin trailed off, not really knowing what to say. He had let his guard down, and there was no going back now.

"Thanks, Alvin," Brittany said, her eyes still bright with tears. "I know I'm not your favorite person in the world, but it was nice of you to say those things. And for helping me out on that little song dedication."

"No problem," Alvin said. "It was fun. The song thing, I mean."

Brittany's smile was still present, but she was obviously still sad. She also looked like she was thinking very hard. "Alvin," she finally said. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Were you jealous of Justin?"

Alvin snorted. "Me? Jealous of that boy scout? Get real."

Brittany looked at him carefully. "So it didn't bother you that he was dating me? You just didn't like him."

Alvin ran a hand through his hair. Why did he feel so powerless all of a sudden? He could usually lie with no problem at all, but sitting with Brittany in an empty, dimly lit RV was turning him into a different person.

"It did bother me," Alvin murmured.

"What did you say?" Brittany asked.

Alvin took a deep breath. "I guess it did bother me. A little."

Brittany bit her lower lip, but said nothing. Alvin found the gesture ridiculously sexy, and surprisingly didn't feel strange about feeling that way.

"I just think you deserve someone better than that," Alvin went on. "You know, someone cool. Someone exciting. Someone fun. Someone like…" Alvin trailed off.

"You," Brittany whispered.

Alvin stared at her. "Huh?"

"Someone like you," Brittany said again.

Alvin felt like he couldn't breathe. Brittany was looking at him in a way many girls had looked at him before; eyes half-lidded and dreamy, mouth relaxed into a slight grin… Alvin recognized that look. It was the look of a girl right before she kissed. Only it was ridiculous that Brittany of all girls was giving him this look. Brittany, the girl he had teased most of his life. Brittany, the girl who annoyed him to no end. Brittany, the girl who was the reason he spent so many hours practicing singing just so he could out-shine her in every performance they did together.

Brittany, the girl he thought was amazing but never wanted to admit it.

"Yeah," Alvin heard himself say. "Someone like me."

Before Alvin knew what was happening, Brittany's lips were on his. His eyes were wide open, trying to process what was happening. Brittany, his rival since he was eight-years-old, was kissing him.

And she was kissing him _well._

Alvin's eyes fluttered shut and he started kissing her back. It didn't take long for the kiss to get deeper, and eventually it was almost as if the two were competing over who could kiss harder. As their mouths fought for dominance, both of them got lost in the moment, not caring what tomorrow would bring.

Alvin had lost track of how long their make-out session had lasted, but finally they silently agreed to stop. They were breathing hard as they fell on to the mattress without a word.

Alvin knew he should get up and go back to his hotel room, but he couldn't get his legs to work. His whole body felt paralyzed, and his mind was so hazy, he found it hard to focus on anything else but Brittany. He had kissed quite a few girls in the past, but he had never felt the way he felt when he kissed Brittany. He wondered if she felt the same way.

Brittany's steady breathing got Alvin's attention. She was already asleep. He figured that Brittany's exhaustion and fragile emotional state was probably the only reason this happened. He knew she'd probably hate herself in the morning for kissing him.

_But I'm glad she did. _

That was Alvin's last thought before he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**More A/Ns (yay!):** I know that the Alvin/Brittany scene toward the end was a tad out of character for both of them, but as I mentioned, Brittany is a little messed up from being rejected for the first time. So I'm not sure if she knows what she wants… or does she?

Oh, and I didn't come up with the part about Brittany singing her revenge to Justin. I came up with the song, but not the actual revenge idea; the idea was sent to me by a reader, but I must have accidently deleted the message or something because I can't find it. Therefore, I don't remember who sent it to me. Anyway, credit goes to whoever came up with it (hopefully you know who you are!), and if you come forward, I'll give you a shout out in the next chapter.

Remember to review, cuties! They're what keep me going (slowly, but surely!).


	15. Chapter 15: Biggest Fan

**A/N:** I want to start by saying thank you to everyone who has been kind enough to leave me enthusiastic reviews. You have all been really encouraging, and I appreciate your words. Special props to those of you who have been following this story from the beginning. I know I'm a really slow updater, but you guys have remained faithful readers. Thanks so much.

Okay, I guess you probably want me to quit with the mushy stuff and let you read the story, so here it is (but really, thank you guys):

* * *

**Saturday July 19**

**7:39 AM**

It took Brittany a few minutes to realize where she was. The slightly uncomfortable mattress, the low ceiling, the fact that she was wearing the same outfit she had on the night before… it took a while for her to piece everything together.

Then she heard soft breathing next to her and the memories of late last night came flooding back to her.

Brittany yelped when she sat up and saw Alvin sleeping next to her. She was instantly reminded of how she practically threw herself at him last night. Images of her lips being pressed against his while they rolled around on the mattress appeared in her mind.

Brittany sighed and thought, _What have I done?_

Then it hit her; what time was it anyway?

Brittany felt around for her cell phone. She gasped when she saw that it was well past seven o'clock in the morning. She remembered Dave said something about them leaving for Miami no later than nine.

"Alvin!" she hissed, shaking him. "Wake up!"

Alvin groaned and rolled back over. Brittany shook him harder.

"Alvin, get up! Hurry!"

She watched Alvin sit up and sigh heavily. His thick hair was tousled in every direction, his eyes half-lidded and sexy. Brittany felt her heart flutter.

"We need to get out of here," Brittany said quickly, hoping to distract herself from how incredible he looked at the moment.

Alvin yawned. "What's the rush?"

"We're leaving for Miami soon!" Brittany cried. "The others are probably looking for us! And what if someone comes in here? It's not going to look good when they find us in bed together."

Alvin rubbed his eyes. "Calm down. It's not like we did anything." He paused and gave a sleepy version of that famous smirk. "Well I guess we did do _some_ things."

Brittany felt herself get flustered. It was true, they hadn't gone "all the way" last night; Brittany wasn't stupid enough to do that. But things had gotten pretty hot and heavy. Her hands were all over him, and his were all over her; and neither one cared. Not to mention the seemingly endless kissing they had done. Brittany had never kissed someone so passionately before.

"Let's just get out of here," Brittany grumbled.

Alvin shrugged in a way that Brittany found adorable.

_Knock it off!_ Brittany scolded herself as she made her way out of the RV. _Alvin is not adorable or sexy or hot or any of the things you've been thinking he is. So stop it!_

But Brittany couldn't help but turn back around. Alvin was sleepily following her, running a hand through that unruly sandy-colored hair. Brittany instantly had an urge to kiss him again.

Brittany sighed miserably as she forced herself to turn away. What was wrong with her? She had seen Alvin look tired plenty of times before, and she had never thought anything of it. Why did she suddenly think he looked so gorgeous just because his hair looked messed up?

She had a feeling that she had a lot of thinking to do. It was going to be a long day.

Meanwhile, Simon Seville was woken up by a loud knock at the door. He yawned and reached for his glasses on the night stand, figuring that it was up to him to see who was there; his brothers were such hard sleepers, they probably hadn't heard anything.

Simon groggily made his way to the door. When he opened it, he was met by the worried faces of Jeanette and Eleanor. Seeing them look like this made Simon wake up instantly.

"Hi," he said, feeling alert. "Is everything all right?"

"Have you seen Brittany?" Eleanor blurted.

"No," Simon said. "I just woke up. What's going on?"

"She wasn't in our room when we woke up," Jeanette explained. Her teal-colored eyes were full of concern. "We thought she might've just been on the first floor eating breakfast, but we didn't see her. We didn't see her anywhere."

"Did you call her?" Simon asked, knowing that Brittany didn't go anywhere without her phone.

Jeanette nodded. "We just did, but there was no answer."

"Okay," Simon said calmly. "Let's not panic. I'm sure she's around here somewhere. We'll get Dave to help us." Simon smiled at Jeanette, who was obviously more frantic than Eleanor. "Don't worry, we'll find her."

"Find who?"

The three turned around to see Alvin and Brittany walking over to them. They were dressed in white cotton robes that the hotel provided.

"Brittany!" Jeanette and Eleanor cried, throwing themselves at their sisters. Simon stood back and raised his eyebrows. He hadn't even noticed Alvin wasn't in their hotel room.

"Where were you?" Eleanor demanded, her mothering ways taking over. "And why didn't you answer your phone?"

"My phone was on silent," Brittany explained. "I didn't hear it go off. And Alvin and I were in the pool room."

"Why?" Jeanette asked, obviously confused as Eleanor and Simon were. They had been aware of the friction between Alvin and Brittany lately. The fact that they had decided to spend time together by the pool in the morning seemed very out of place.

"We were eating breakfast," Alvin said coolly. "It was crowded in the lobby."

"I didn't think they allowed food in there," a sleepy voice said behind Simon. Everyone turned to see a tired-looking Theodore.

"They don't," Alvin replied. "We sneaked it in. We're badass like that. Right, Brittany?"

"Right!" Brittany said, a little too enthusiastically. "That's us—badass!"

"Why are you guys wearing robes?" Theodore quipped.

"Because they're comfortable," Alvin answered, obviously getting annoyed.

Alvin and Brittany's siblings exchanged glances.

"Well," Brittany finally said, "if there are no more questions, I'm going to shower." She walked over to the Chipette's room and used her key card to enter.

With Brittany gone, all eyes focused on Alvin.

"What?" he snapped. He pushed past his brothers and entered the small room.

"That was weird," Eleanor said quietly.

"I'm just glad she's okay," Jeanette admitted. Simon couldn't help but grin at Jeanette's sweet words.

He said a quick good bye to the girls and Theodore, who was eager to partake in the free breakfast being served downstairs, and went back inside. As Alvin was emerging from the bathroom, Simon noticed his messy hair.

"You never combed your hair last night," Simon said without giving it a second thought. Alvin glanced at him. "Which means you never got your comb from the RV."

"I couldn't find it," Alvin said, turning away to rummage through his overnight bag.

Simon folded his arms across his chest. "Did you come back to the hotel room last night?"

"Of course," Alvin said. "You didn't hear me come back in. You and Theodore were out cold."

"Mmm hmm," Simon muttered. He looked carefully at his brother. "You know, it seems sort of strange that you and Brittany would randomly decide to meet up in the pool room and have breakfast."

"What's wrong with a friendly breakfast?" Alvin asked innocently.

"Nothing," Simon replied. "If you're actually _friends_."

Alvin rolled his eyes. "Why are you making such a big deal out of this?"

"I'm not," Simon said with a shrug. "But do you want to know what I think?"

"No," Alvin said casually.

"I think that you and Brittany met up last night," Simon said. "I think that you ended up staying the night somewhere and just dragged yourself back." Simon looked at Alvin carefully. "Now the question is, what did you actually _do_ last night?"

"I _slept_ last night," Alvin said through clenched teeth. "That's what_ I_ did. I don't know what Brittany did, because I wasn't with her."

"For some reason, I don't believe you," Simon said. He knew he was giving Alvin a hard time, but his curious had gotten the best of him. He wanted to know what his brother was up to.

"I don't care if you don't believe me," Alvin said, grabbing his shampoo and soap. He headed toward the bathroom and shut the door, leaving an amused Simon behind.

Simon knew something had definitely happened between the two of them last night. He then decided that it was none of his business and that he shouldn't stress about it; Alvin could take care of himself… to a point.

Anyway, Simon was sure he would find out soon enough. Keeping secrets wasn't typically a strong point among his brothers and the Chipettes.

With that thought, Simon went downstairs to meet the others for breakfast.

…

**12:34 PM**

**Miami, FL**

Eleanor almost jumped for joy when the RV approached the arena she and the others were performing at tonight. Usually she didn't mind the long rides in the RV; she enjoyed chatting with her friends and sisters, as well as looking out the window to admire the country. However, this three hour trip from Orlando had been less than enjoyable, and it was all because of Brittany.

Brittany hadn't stopped talking since they pulled out of the Orlando hotel parking lot. She talked about _everything_; her hair, her nails, who she thought the cutest guys in Hollywood were, who she thought the ugliest actresses in Hollywood were, and the list goes on. At one point she was talking about toaster brands… yes, _toasters_ of all things!

As the RV turned into the large parking lot, Brittany thumbing through her _Seventeen _magazine, narrating every page for the others: "Ugh!" Brittany snarled. "That's a hideous color on her! Why would they make that poor girl wear that? It makes her legs look like sausages." Brittany turned the page. "Oh, now that's cute. I actually think something like that would look good on me. Don't you guys think so?" When no one answered, Brittany said, "Why am I even asking _you_ guys? Of course it would look cute on me!"

Eleanor sighed and looked at the others. Simon and Jeanette were trying to focus on a card game, which had to be hard thanks to Brittany's babbling. Theodore was messing around with Simon's rubrics cube. Alvin was laying on his back in the loft with his eyes closed wearing earphones. Alvin's iPod was turned up so loud, Eleanor could hear the angry Eminem song he was listening to. Eleanor was suddenly envious; Alvin might have been on his way to suffering permanent ear damage, but at least he couldn't hear Brittany.

However, seeing Brittany like this concerned Eleanor. Whenever Brittany got super talkative, it meant something was on her mind and she was trying to keep herself distracted by talking about something else.

Eleanor knew why Brittany was so upset. When they were getting ready to leave for Miami, Brittany had told Eleanor and Jeanette about what happened with Justin. Apparently he had just pretended to like her so he could gain publicity for himself. Brittany heard him talking to his girlfriend (who had known about Justin's scheme the whole time) minutes before she was supposed to dedicate her song to him. That's why she had been acting so strange before they went on stage, even going as far as changing the song.

When the RV came to a halt behind the arena, Eleanor and the others wasted no time getting out of the vehicle. Eleanor loved her sister, but she wasn't sure she could handle another monologue-style debate about who was the best looking member of Big Time Rush or which _Full House_ episode was the corniest.

"Hey guys!"

The group turned to see Doug and Milo walking toward them. Doug was waving and Milo looked like he just rolled out of bed.

"Hi," Theodore said. "Where's Justin?"

Eleanor was going to look at Brittany to see her reaction at Justin being brought up, but all she saw was her sister slip into the backstage door.

"He's still on the bus," Doug said. "He's been acting weird all day. Whatever." Doug shrugged. "Anyway, you know how I said that I'm from Miami? Well, my family is going to be hanging out here this afternoon, and my little sister is a really big fan of yours. Do you guys think you could meet her real quick?"

"Of course," Eleanor said, along with the others, who agreed. Eleanor loved meeting fans, especially young ones. Not to mention, Doug seemed like a decent guy, so his sister would probably be nice too.

"Yo, Jenna!" Doug called behind him. "Come on out! They're here!"

A girl about Eleanor's age emerged from behind the band's tour bus. She was obviously Doug's sister; she had the same shade of honey blond hair and similar wide blue eyes with long, dark lashes.

"_This_ is your _little_ sister?" Simon asked, skeptically.

"Yup," Doug said. "She turned fourteen last month."

Eleanor's thoughts were similar to Simon's. From the way Doug talked about her, Eleanor had expected the girl to have messy pigtails and a few front teeth missing… like a little sister should. But this girl was definitely not "little." Fourteen wasn't an old age, but Doug's sister didn't look fourteen. She was thin, had slender, tanned legs and a perky bustline (emphasized by her light blue camisole). Her long, wavy hair cascaded down smooth shoulders. She could have easily passed as a college student; a college student who was a model.

"This is Jenna," Doug said. "Jenna, this is…"

"I _know _who they are!" Jenna squealed. She smiled, revealing straight, white teeth. "Omigosh! This is so exciting! I've been a fan for _years!"_

Eleanor glanced at Alvin. She was sure he'd be drooling over how beautiful Jenna was, but that wasn't the case. Alvin wasn't even looking at the pretty blonde. He was staring behind Milo's shoulder. Eleanor looked to see what he was looking at, but all she could see was empty parking lot. Jenna went through and gave each one a hug. When she was done, her blue eyes looked a little sad.

"Where is Brittany?"

Eleanor and the group exchanged glances. They didn't know why Brittany had taken off so quickly. Eleanor figured that maybe Brittany thought Justin would be with Doug and Milo, so she bailed.

"She went backstage already," Eleanor said. "Don't worry, you'll meet her."

"Good," Jenna said, relieved. "I love Brittany."

Eleanor expected Alvin to chime in with a snarky remark, but once again, he was silent.

"Could you guys pose with me for a picture?" Jenna held up a sleek pink digital camera.

After a few pictures (they had to take a retake the first one, because Jenna thought her "eyebrows looked funny"), the gang gradually started to split up, saying polite "good bye"s and "nice to meet you"s with Jenna. But when Eleanor and Theodore started to walk away, Jenna grabbed Theodore's arm, her bracelets clanking together on her skinny wrist.

"Hey Theo," Jenna said sweetly. "Um, it's okay if I call you Theo, right?"

Theodore shrugged. "Sure, Jenna."

Jenna's glossy lips stretched into a grin. "Cool. So, you know how most of your female fans are always swooning over Alvin? You know, saying he's the hot one and stuff?"

"Uh, yeah," Theodore said, obviously puzzled. "I guess."

Eleanor raised an eyebrow. Where exactly was this going?

"Well," Jenna let out a giggle. "My friends think I'm kind of crazy for saying this, but I actually think that _you're_ the hot one in the group."

Eleanor's jaw dropped. Was this girl coming on to_ her_ boyfriend, right in front of her?

"Y-you do?" Theodore asked. Theodore wasn't used to being called "hot." Cute maybe, but not hot. Heck, even Eleanor didn't call him that.

"I do," Jenna said, batting those long eyelashes. "I don't know what it is about you, but I could stare into those green eyes all day."

Theodore smiled. "Gee, thanks Jenna."

"You're welcome," Jenna said in a tone that was way too sultry for Eleanor's liking.

"Well, look at the time!" Eleanor said loudly, making Jenna gasp. Eleanor grabbed her boyfriend's arm and started leading him away. "We need to start rehearsing. It was nice talking to you Jenna, see you later! _Much_ later," Eleanor muttered under her breath.

"Um, okay," Jenna said, looking disappointed. "Bye."

Once she and Theodore were inside, they set off in search of their dressing room.

"God, can you _believe_ her?" Eleanor fumed.

"I thought she was nice," Theodore said with an innocent shrug.

"Theodore!" Eleanor cried. "She was _flirting _with you! Right in front of me, as if I didn't exist."

"She's just a fan, Ellie," Theodore pointed out. "She was excited."

Eleanor sighed. "Maybe you're right," she admitted. "I guess I'm overreacting."

"It's okay," Theodore said. They walked in silence for a moment.

"You're just defending her 'cause she said you were hot," Eleanor said with a smirk.

Theodore grinned. "Maybe."

Eleanor rolled her eyes and gave Theodore a kiss. Theodore was right; Jenna was no big deal, and Eleanor didn't need to worry about her. She was just a fan… a fan that happened to have a beautiful face and a model-worthy body.

_Okay,_ Eleanor thought. _Maybe I should at least keep an eye on her…_

An hour later, the Seville boys were hanging out in their dressing room, going over the set list for tonight's show.

"I think we should switch acts six and seven," Simon was saying, studying the songs carefully. "I just think it makes sense, considering what the eighth song is."

"Sounds good to me," Theodore said, right before biting into a PBJ sandwich.

"What do you think Alvin?" Simon asked, who was laying on the couch face down. Simon sighed when his brother didn't answer. "Alvin? Alvin!"

"Sounds good," Alvin said, his voice muffled by the leathery couch cushions.

Simon raised his eyebrows. "Great. I was also thinking we could put _Girls and Boys of Rock 'n' Roll_ on replay tonight and just sing it the whole show."

"Whatever," was Alvin's response.

"Hey Alvin," Simon tried again. "Theodore and I are going to the beach to watch the annual Miami wet t-shirt contest. Are you coming?"

"Cool," Alvin muttered.

Simon sighed. Something was obviously wrong with his brother.

"What's going on, Alvin?"

Alvin lifted his head. "Nothing is wrong. Why would you think something is wrong?"

Simon almost let out a laugh. "Alvin, you just agreed to sing _Girls and Boys of Rock 'n' Roll _all night and didn't even blink when I mentioned wet t-shirt contest. Something is obviously _very_ wrong."

Alvin's blue eyes narrowed. "_Nothing_ is wrong," he insisted. "I just… have a lot on my mind, okay?"

"Do you want to talk about it?" Simon asked.

"No," Alvin sighed. "God, when did you become so nosy?"

"I was just trying to help," Simon said.

"Well, don't," Alvin spat.

"Fine."

"Fine."

Someone knocked at the door, and Simon answered it (As usual. Sometimes he felt like a doorman).

Jenna stood in the doorway, looking just as sweet and bubbly as she did when they had first met her an hour ago.

"Hi!" she said happily.

"Hello Jenna," Simon said politely. "Would you like to come in?"

Jenna's smile grew wider, if that was possible. "Of course!" she squealed, stepping into the big room. She looked at Theodore, and Simon swore he saw her bat her eyelashes. "Hey Theo."

Theo? Simon thought.

Theodore swallowed a bite of sandwich. "Hi Jenna."

Jenna stepped closer to the shy teen. "This might sound kind of weird… but have you been working out?"

"Working out?" Theodore repeated in disbelief.

"Yeah," Jenna giggled. "Your arms…" Jenna gently laid a hand on Theodore's fleshy bicep. "They just look so muscular. More muscular than a picture I used to have."

"They're not that muscular," Theodore said, unable to hide a proud smile.

Jenna giggled again. Suddenly, Alvin looked very alert. He watched Jenna and Theodore closely.

"Oh, Theo!" Jenna gushed. "Don't be so modest!

Simon cleared his throat, getting uncomfortable for some reason. "Is there anything we can help you with, Jenna?"

Jenna looked at Simon as though she had forgotten he was in the room. "Um, yes," she said, taking her hand off his youngest brother. "I came in here to invite you guys to a party after the show. It's no big deal or anything… just a bonfire that one of my friends is having."

"Thanks for the invite," Simon said, "but I think we'll pass. We usually get pretty exhausted after the shows." He decided not to add that parties haven't been going very well for their group lately.

"Oh," Jenna said, disappointed. "Oh well. I understand, I guess. After all, you guys are rock stars, why would you want to party with a bunch of boring high school kids?"

"It's not that…" Simon was saying.

"We'll be there," Alvin confirmed before Simon finished his sentence.

Theodore glanced at his oldest brother. "Dave won't let us go out after the show. It'll be too late."

"Oh come on, Theo," Jenna cooed. "Live a little."

Simon glared at Alvin when he let out a snort of laughter.

"I don't know…" Theodore said thoughtfully.

"Well, at least think about it," Jenna said in a husky voice that made Theodore gulp. She turned to leave, saying, "I hope to see you guys there!"

After the pretty girl left, Alvin burst out laughing. "Oh my God! Theodore, she was totally coming on to you!"

"No she wasn't," Theodore muttered, his face flushing.

"She did seem quite friendly toward you, Theodore," Simon admitted.

"Yeah, friendly," Alvin said, rolling his eyes. "That's the word we'll use to describe her."

Simon sighed. "Please, guys, don't tell me you're going to that party."

"Fine," Alvin said with a shrug. "I won't tell you."

Simon knew Alvin wouldn't admit it, but the only reason his brother was going to this party was for a distraction. Simon wasn't sure what Alvin needed a distraction from, but he figured it had something to do with a cute, stubborn Chipette.

"So are you coming to the party, _Theo?"_ Alvin asked, mocking Theodore's biggest fan.

"Maybe," Theodore said quietly.

"Theodore!" Simon cried.

"What?" Theodore asked innocently. "It's just a bonfire."

"Exactly!" Alvin agreed. "It's just a bonfire. So let's go!"

Simon glared at his brother. "I liked you better when you were lying around like a zombie."

"And I like you better when you don't have a stick up your ass," Alvin shot back. "Oh wait, that's all the time."

Simon felt himself get angry, but decided to let Alvin win this battle. He knew it was best not to flare Alvin's temper when something was heavy on his mind.

"I'm going to go check out the stage," Alvin announced.

After Alvin left, Simon focused on his other brother. "Be careful, Theodore."

"About what?" Theodore asked.

"Jenna," Simon answered. "Remember, you have a girlfriend."

Theodore laughed. "I _know_, Simon. Don't worry about me. Jenna is just friendly, like you said."

"Right," Simon said. "Just don't screw up and pull an Alvin, okay?"

"Okay," Theodore agreed. He glanced at himself in the mirror and flexed his right arm. "Do you really think my arms have gotten more muscular?"

Simon sighed and patted his brother on the back. "Just be careful, Theodore," he repeated before leaving the room. "Just be careful."

* * *

I think this is the fastest I've updated this story since… well, ever. You can thank my boss for that; I barely got any hours this week at work, hence the reason I've had so much time to write. Originally, I was going to write more, but I decided to break this up into two chapters. I didn't want you guys to pass out from boredom. Anyway, there will be more coming soon! Please review!


	16. Chapter 16: Simon Stays Out

A/N: I actually rewrote about half this chapter, which is something I don't usually do (hence why it took a while to publish). It was a bit of a headache, but I'm okay with how it turned out. Oh, and something else interesting about this chapter is that it is a good portion of it is in Theodore's point of view and that hardly ever happens in my stories (although I think 5 out of the 6 kids have their own POV in this chapter, which is pretty unique). So if you're a Theodore fan, this chapter is dedicated to you!

* * *

**10:57 PM**

**Hotel Lobby**

Alvin couldn't believe his luck. The night couldn't get much better.

The concert had gone great, as expected. He managed to block out his thoughts about Brittany to put on a good show. Actually, he hadn't thought about Brittany in hours; and that's because after they arrived at their hotel, Dave had told him and the others that he met up with an old friend from college who invited him to go out for drinks.

Alvin could tell Dave was reluctant about the whole thing ("I really don't have to go," Dave had told them. "I should probably stay at the hotel; I shouldn't leave you kids alone."). But Alvin had persisted that he should go, saying Dave deserved a night off. With a sigh and a weak smile, Dave admitted that maybe it wouldn't hurt to go out for a few drinks.

After Dave excused himself to get ready for his night out, Alvin felt his heart flutter with excitement. Now he could sneak out and go to that party What's-Her-Name invited them to.

"It looks like you got what you wanted," Simon muttered, adjusting his glasses.

"What do you mean?" Eleanor piped up. The Chipettes were standing in the hotel lobby as well.

"He _means _that it's going to be a lot easier to sneak off to that party," Alvin said, texting Jenna that they'd be there. She had told them the party was at a beach within walking distance from the hotel they were staying at, so Alvin didn't need directions. Jenna did, however, insist that he let her know if they were coming.

Alvin glanced up when he noticed a silence among them. The Chipettes were exchanging puzzled glances.

"Something wrong?" he wondered.

"What party are you talking about?" Eleanor asked.

It was the Chipmunks' turn to look at each other.

"Jenna didn't tell you?" Theodore asked.

"_Jenna?"_ Eleanor was frowning and her face was turning pink. "What does _Jenna_ have to do with anything?"

"She invited us to a party," Theodore said softly, obviously nervous about Eleanor's building rage. "We thought you knew…"

"Well we didn't," Eleanor hissed. Alvin had never seen her look so angry. "And you're actually _going?_ Theodore, since when do you sneak out to parties?"

"I don't… I mean, I just… I thought it might be fun," Theodore sputtered.

Eleanor let out a humorless laugh and said, "Yeah, I'm sure Jenna wants you to have tons of fun."

"Maybe she just forgot to tell you," Theodore offered.

"Yeah," Eleanor snorted. "That's it. I'm sure she _forgot."_

Alvin rolled his eyes at his brother, annoyed by the way he was getting pushed around by his girlfriend. Eleanor wasn't normally the nagging-type, but Alvin was already tired of her jealous attitude.

"Yeah, well, we're going to get ready to go," Alvin said, grabbing Theodore and pulling him toward the elevator. "We're leaving in ten minutes, if you guys want to come with us."

Now Alvin found himself in his hotel room, combing his hair just-so in front of the mirror.

"Maybe I shouldn't go," he heard Theodore tell Simon.

Alvin emerged from the bathroom and said, "No, Theodore, you're going."

Theodore blinked. "I am?"

"Yes." Alvin smirked at his reflection in the television screen. He looked _damn _good tonight. "You are."

Simon, who was lying on his bed reading a boring magazine, sighed heavily.

Alvin raised an eyebrow. "Got an opinion, Simon?"

"Yes," Simon replied. "But I'm staying out of this one."

"Ha!" Alvin said loudly, making Theodore jump. "Yeah right. Simon Seville is staying out of something. Sure. Whatever."

Simon casually turned a page. "I mean it, Alvin. You and Theodore are old enough to make your own choices. Just pretend I'm not here."

"If only that was possible," Alvin murmured. He turned his attention to his other brother. "So, Theodore, you ready?"

Theodore nervously glanced at Simon, who was staring at him with an expectant look on his face. Then he looked at Alvin, whose eyebrows were raised, as if to say, "Come on, you know you want to go to that party."

Theodore swallowed and said, "Okay, Alvin. Let's go."

Alvin grinned triumphantly at Simon, who simply went back to reading his magazine. He may have been pretending he didn't care about what decision Theodore made, but Alvin noticed a slight flicker of weariness show on Simon's face.

Alvin grabbed the hotel key card and he and his brother started to walk out of the room. They weren't out the door when the Chipettes emerged from the room across the hall. Brittany and Eleanor were dressed to go out, but Jeanette was wearing her pajamas.

"Ah, ladies," Alvin said with a cocky grin. "Glad you decided to join us."

Simon showed up in the doorway, which made Alvin laugh.

"I knew you couldn't do it," Alvin said. "You just can't mind your own business, not even for a night."

"Don't flatter yourself," Simon replied with a glare. He softened his gaze and turned his attention to Jeanette. "Staying in, I assume?"

Jeanette grinned and nodded.

"Me too," Simon said. "Care to join me for a fun night of board games and cards?"

Jeanette beamed and said, "Okay, Simon."

Alvin rolled his eyes at the awkward nerd-flirting taking place in front of him.

"So you decided to come?" Theodore asked Eleanor.

"Oh, I'm coming," Eleanor said angrily. Her brown eyes were narrowed to slits. "You can count on that."

Theodore gulped as Alvin told the group it was time to go. They walked down the hall, leaving Simon and Jeanette behind. Alvin could practically feel Simon glaring at him as they walked away.

Alvin pressed the elevator button. As he and the others quietly waited for the elevator, Alvin almost gasped when he noticed that something was completely, totally, utterly _wrong._ Something that he should've noticed a while ago; something so obviously strange that he couldn't believe he missed it.

Brittany Miller had been with them the whole time and hadn't said a word.

**11:34**

**The Beach**

The group walked along the beach in silence, all consumed by their thoughts. Eleanor was angry, Theodore was wondering why she was angry, Alvin was anxious for a distraction, and Brittany was still thinking about her encounter with Alvin the night before.

"_Finally,"_ Alvin sighed, causing the others to focus on the task at hand. Straight ahead was a large crowd gathered around a bonfire. As the group got closer, music became louder. All of them had mixed emotions about the party they were about to crash, but they were quick to notice how much fun everyone seemed to be having.

"Hi guys!" Jenna practically skipped over to them, beaming at Alvin and Theodore. As soon as she noticed Brittany and Eleanor, her smile faltered a bit. "Uh, hi Brittany. Hi Eleanor. Glad you guys could make it."

"Yeah, I'll bet," Eleanor grumbled.

Jenna's eyes widened innocently. "I am_ so_ sorry I didn't personally invite you. I wanted to tell you, but I couldn't find…"

"Whatever," Eleanor dismissed. She looked at Theodore and gestured toward the speaker. "Let's dance, Theodore."

"Um, okay," Theodore agreed. He was obviously confused. It wasn't like Eleanor was the shy type, but she didn't usually force him to do anything. He wasn't sure to make of the situation as she practically dragged him away.

He attempted to dance along with Eleanor, but it was a fast-paced song with a heavy beat. Theodore didn't have a problem with slow dancing, or working with chorography for the shows, but he always felt kind of silly moving around to pop songs. Eleanor knew this, and he didn't like that she was making him do it anyway.

After three long songs, Theodore was out of breath. "Can we get something to drink?"

"Of course," Eleanor said with a grin. "Having fun?"

"I… no, not really," he admitted. "I just… why are you so upset? Did it hurt your feelings that Jenna didn't invite you? She said she forgot…"

"It didn't hurt my feelings," Eleanor said with an unfamiliar edge to her normally kind voice. "She didn't want me here because she wanted to spend time alone with you."

Theodore almost laughed. "Don't be silly, Ellie. How could we be alone? There's got to be fifty people here."

Eleanor's eyes narrowed. "That's not what I…" she sighed. "Look, I just have a feeling that Jenna wants me out of the picture. She's going to try to…" Eleanor trailed off and looked at the light brown sand beneath them.

Theodore was about to tell her that she didn't have anything to worry about when the girl in question appeared next to him. She grinned and handed him a can of root beer.

"Thanks Jenna," Theodore said, returning her smile. "Root beer is my favorite."

Jenna shrugged bashfully. "I know. I saw you mention it in an interview once."

"Oh," Theodore said, feeling oddly flattered. "Um, wow. Thanks again."

"You're very welcome," Jenna said, holding his gaze.

"Excuse me!" Eleanor practically yelled, causing Jenna and Theodore to flinch. "I'm standing right here!"

Jenna blinked stupidly. "Oh, I'm sorry, Eleanor. Do you want me to get you a drink, too?"

"No," Eleanor huffed. "I want you to leave my boyfriend alone."

"But I was just…"

"Flirting with him?" Eleanor crossed her arms across her chest. "Well, stop. If you keep up with interviews as well as you say you do, you'd know that I am Theodore's _girlfriend_."

Although it was dark, Theodore saw Jenna blushing. This made him feel slightly disappointed at Eleanor; she _never_ acted this way. Jenna was just an excited fan. There was nothing wrong with being a little star-stuck.

Besides, Theodore would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy her flattery. Usually the female fans were drawn to Alvin, and even Simon got much more attention from girls than Theodore did. Theodore was just "the nice one." Alvin had the good looks and charisma, while Simon was witty and somewhat mysterious. They often got more fan mail in a week than Theodore got in two months. And the fan mail Theodore did get was often from young children or old women who thought he was "simply adorable," and "cute enough to take home."

Theodore's thoughts were interrupted when Eleanor took his hand and said, "Come on Theodore."

Theodore surprised himself when he pulled his hand away. "Eleanor, I think you owe Jenna an apology."

Eleanor gaped at him. "What? _Me_ owe _her_ an apology?"

He nodded. "She was just being nice…"

Eleanor was scowling by this point. "Theodore, how can you be so blind? She likes you. She's trying to get you to like her." She spoke very slowly, as if she was talking to a child.

This annoyed Theodore. He often let people talk down to him, particularly Alvin. But Eleanor always treated him like an equal. She never made him feel stupid, or said anything to hurt him.

Until now.

"I just think you should say sorry," Theodore said with a shrug. He glanced at Jenna, who was watching the scene intently.

Eleanor looked at him carefully. "You just don't get it, do you?"

Theodore stared back. "I guess not," he said.

He watched his girlfriend shake her head and mutter, "Unbelievable." Without another word, she stormed away.

"She's usually not like this," Theodore quickly explained to Jenna.

"I know," Jenna said. "She's just being… paranoid, I suppose."

"I guess," Theodore said quietly, watching Eleanor climb into one of the many small tents scattered around the beach.

"Are you okay?" Jenna asked.

Theodore nodded, although he wasn't really okay at all. He was confused and offended.

"Want to talk?" Jenna offered.

Theodore looked at her hopeful expression and nodded again.

**12:23 AM**

Alvin was chatting with some good looking girls by the fire. He was trying so hard to enjoy himself; and he was, to a point. He was famous enough that people noticed him, but not so famous that people were mobbing him for an autograph. He usually preferred the mobbing (there was no better way to stroke his ego), but he felt comfortable with his current fame status.

However, as much as he tried to distract himself by talking and dancing, his mind kept drifting back to Brittany. He hadn't thought about her most of the evening, but she had invaded his thoughts the minute they left the hotel for the party.

Of course, it didn't help that he knew she was staring at him from across the party. He tried to ignore her, but every time he glanced over, she was still watching him. Alvin figured this meant that she was thinking about him as well. He wondered how long it would be until they actually discussed what had happened last night. He wondered if they would ever discuss it at all.

No, they _had_ to discuss it eventually, whether Brittany wanted to or not. Alvin wasn't good at just letting things go; he wasn't one to bottle up his thoughts… or, in this case, feelings.

Several feet away, Brittany sighed and took another sip of Diet Coke. She had come to the party hoping to unwind and forget about Alvin. Instead, she found herself standing slightly outside the crowd, watching Alvin like some creepy stalker.

Usually when she had a lot on her mind, she would relieve herself by talking up a storm like she had earlier. But now she felt exhausted; the energy to talk wasn't there. Besides, it's not like she had anyone to talk to. Theodore and Eleanor had vanished, and Alvin was too busy having fun to hang around her.

Brittany noticed Doug and Milo hanging out with two pretty girls in bikini tops and cut-off shorts. Until that moment, she hadn't noticed that Justin wasn't there. She figured he was probably avoiding going out in public for a while. Some celebrity websites and newspapers had heard about Brittany's less-than-flattering song dedication to Justin and, although it wasn't confirmed, many gathered that Justin hadn't been faithful to Brittany in some sort of way. Even though she was still hurt, Brittany did get amusement out of this; Justin said he wanted some time in the spot light, and he was getting it. Only it wasn't for the reasons he wanted.

After she finished her drink, she headed toward the cooler to get another. Hopefully this would be her last one; Dave would only be gone so long, and she figured the others would want to get back to the hotel before he did.

Brittany reached into the cooler and pulled out another Diet Coke. When she looked up, she was met by a pair of dark blue eyes.

"We need to talk," Alvin said.

A few minutes later, Brittany was being dragged into one of those dirty-looking make-out tents that were set up on the beach. She immediately felt uncomfortable, remembering what happened the last time she and Alvin were alone in the dark.

Alvin zipped up the tent and turned toward Brittany. The tent was dark, besides a small lantern that glowed on the ground. The light shone around Alvin, bringing out his tan and the naturally gold highlights in his hair.

_Stop thinking about his tan and hair! _Brittany immediately scolded herself. She knew he couldn't read her thoughts, but it was still embarrassing to be thinking of him in that way. Why did she suddenly find him so attractive?

Alvin's face was uncharacteristically serious, which made Brittany even more nervous.

"You sure are quiet tonight," Alvin observed. There was no sarcasm or taunting in his voice.

Brittany shrugged. She wasn't about to give anything away.

"Have you been thinking about me as much as I've been thinking about you?" he asked in a low voice that made Brittany's heart speed up.

"You think about someone other than yourself?" Brittany mused.

Alvin smirked. "It's kind of hard to _not _think about someone who attacked me with her lips last night."

Brittany hoped that she didn't look as flushed as she felt. She willed herself to think fast.

"Look about last night," she said. "It… it didn't mean anything. I was really emotional, and it was a lapse of judgment on my part."

Alvin raised his eyebrows. "So that's it, then? It didn't mean anything."

She nodded. "Right. Just a stupid mistake."

Alvin snorted. "Glad to know I was just a stupid mistake."

It was Brittany's turn to raise her eyebrows. She decided to turn on the confidence. "Gee Alvin, if I didn't know any better, I would think that you actually _want_ it to mean something."

"Don't be ridiculous," Alvin fired back, his whole demeanor changing in an instant. He now seemed defensive and cold. "I just figured we needed to clear the air. Avoiding each other is annoying awkward."

"Right," Brittany agreed. She couldn't help but think the "annoying awkwardness" could easily be considered sexual tension. "I'm sorry it ever happened."

"Yeah," Alvin said with a nod. "Me too. And for the record, I didn't mean anything by it either. Like all that nice stuff I said about you? I was just trying to get you to stop crying and being pathetic. It was nothing more than a little ego boost."

"I figured as much," Brittany said, although she couldn't help but feel a slight sting at his words. She had been so focused on thinking about their make-out session that she had almost forgotten about the things he had said to her that night; he had complimented her and basically told her that he liked her. But supposedly it was all a lie.

For a moment, they were both silent. Brittany chewed on her lower lip as she studied him. He looked serious, and maybe a bit annoyed, but she thought she saw the slightest glint of disappointment in his eyes. She had a feeling that Alvin was lying to her _now,_ rather than last night.

"We should probably be getting back to the hotel," Brittany said, breaking the silence. "Dave will be back soon."

"Yeah," Alvin agreed, not taking his eyes off her. "We probably should."

Brittany nodded and found herself staring at his lips. She suddenly remembered how exciting it had been to kiss him, how soft his hair was, and how wonderful it felt when his hands were on her hips.

Without thinking twice about it, she walked past Alvin and fled the tent. She knew if she would have stayed a second longer, she would've kissed him with as much urgency as she had the night before.

Meanwhile, Theodore found himself in a tent as well. He had been talking to Jenna for quite some time now.

Jenna was giggling at a story he had told about the time his was kidnapped by a wild tribe during their trip around the world.

"I can't believe they were going to sacrifice you!" Jenna said in awe. "That must've been so scary!"

"It was," Theodore admitted with a smile, "at the time. But looking back, the whole thing is kind of funny." He sighed at the memory. "That whole balloon race was just crazy. I still don't know how Alvin talked us into doing that. We were only in fourth grade; I don't even know how we made it alive."

"I'm not surprised," Jenna cooed. "You seem really brave to me."

Theodore had to laugh at that. "Brave? _Me?_ I don't think so, Jenna."

Jenna smiled. She really did have a nice smile. "You don't give yourself enough credit."

Theodore grinned. "Thanks for this, Jenna. I love my brothers and the Chipettes, but it's nice to talk to someone else for a change, you know?"

Jenna beamed. She was such a sweet girl. Theodore couldn't understand why Eleanor…

Eleanor. His _girlfriend. _His girlfriend who he hadn't even thought of in nearly an hour.

"Something wrong?" Jenna asked.

"No," Theodore said. "I mean, yes. Maybe. I don't know."

Jenna pursed her lips and glanced at the floor. "Are you thinking about Eleanor?" she asked quietly.

He nodded. "I just don't understand why she had to act like that. Why was she so mad?"

Silence loomed around them for a few moments before Jenna finally mumbled, "Well, she might have not been totally out of line."

Theodore blinked. "What do you mean?"

Jenna faced him and gave him a smirk that reminded him of Alvin when he was being mischievous. "She was right when she said I wanted to get you alone."

Theodore's eyes widened. "But…"

"I like you, Theodore," Jenna said, moving closer to him. "I like you a lot."

"Um, well, I like you too, Jenna," Theodore said, feeling slightly uncomfortable. Jenna no longer seemed sweet; she seemed… well, Theodore couldn't quite put his finger on it…

"Then prove it."

Theodore's eyes widened when Jenna moved forward and pressed her lips to his. For a few seconds, he was frozen in shock. His mind went completely blank. When he felt Jenna's hands rest on his shoulders, he processed what was happening: Jenna was kissing him.

He might have enjoyed this if it wasn't for the fact that HE HAD A GIRLFRIEND!

Theodore pulled away and scooted away from the pretty girl. Jenna's face fell.

"Theo," she said, her voice full of genuine curiosity. "What's wrong?"

"I have a girlfriend!" Theodore exclaimed, his eyes bulging.

Jenna raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow. "Really? Doesn't seem like it to me."

"We just had a little argument, that's all!"

Jenna sighed and shook her head. "Theodore, she doesn't appreciate you. I even saw it out there." She gestured toward the tent opening. "She's trying to control you. You need someone who understands you. You need someone like me."

Theodore frowned. He found it odd that Jenna was talking about "control" when she was telling him who he should and shouldn't be with.

"Eleanor _does _understand me," he said, unable to hide his angry tone. "She was just worried that you would try to take me away from her, and I guess she was right about that all along."

Jenna's face fell. "I'm not taking you away from anyone. You don't _belong_ to her."

Theodore sighed. Suddenly, he felt very tired. He just wanted to go back to the hotel, curl up in his bed, and go to sleep.

"I think it's time for me to go," he said, standing up. He stumbled a bit when Jenna grabbed his wrist.

"Don't leave Theo," Jenna said desperately. "We don't have to kiss. We could just talk, like we were."

Theodore shook his head and removed her hand from his arm. "No thanks, Jenna."

"She doesn't deserve you." Jenna's arms were now folded across her chest, and her pout made her look like a first grader. "You can do better, Theodore."

Theodore found himself actually grin. "I don't think so, Jenna," he said thoughtfully, "because, in my opinion, Eleanor is the best. And how can you do any better when you already have the best?"

Without another word, he left the tent, feeling wiser and more confident than he had ever felt before.

**1:33 AM**

"King me."

"Nice move, Jeanette."

"Thanks."

Jeanette grinned as Simon made his move. They had been playing checkers for a long time now, but Jeanette was far from being tired of it. She couldn't remember the last time she had had such a good time.

She had spent the last few hours in the Chipmunk's room hanging out with Simon. She knew it would've been a good time to confess her feelings for him, due to the fact that it was just the two of them. However, the opportunity just never came up. They were having too much fun chatting and playing checkers. Jeanette felt completely comfortable just being a friend for tonight.

They were discussing their favorite Harry Potter characters when they heard the door unlock. Jeanette held her breath, wondering if it was Dave. Simon had told her that he wasn't going to cover for the others if Dave got back first. Jeanette was surprised by this, but Simon had told her, "I'm not their baby-sitter. I'm staying out of this one."

Jeanette exhaled when Theodore and Alvin walked in the room. They had gotten away with this one. However, they didn't look very happy about it. Theodore had a pained expression on his face, as if he was sick. Alvin just looked angry.

"How was the party?" Simon asked casually.

Alvin didn't say anything. Instead, he stomped into the bathroom and slammed the door shut. Simon looked at his other brother.

"I take it the food was bad," Simon guessed.

Theodore shrugged. "I don't know what his problem is," she muttered.

"Okay," Simon said thoughtfully. "So what's yours?"

To Jeanette's surprise, Theodore actually scowled. "I thought you were staying out of this, Simon," he said.

Simon blinked, unable to hide his shock. "Um… right. You're right. Forget I asked."

Jeanette thought she saw a look of guilt pass Theodore's face. He then walked over to his duffel bag and began pulling out pajamas.

"I should go," Jeanette said to Simon.

He nodded. "I apologize for their behavior," he said under his breath.

Jeanette shrugged. "I'm sure they have a good reason to be upset."

"I doubt it."

Jeanette grinned. "Thanks for tonight, Simon. It was fun."

"Thanks for coming," Simon said, walking her to the door. "Apparently it was a good decision to stay here. The party must've not been so much fun."

"I guess not."

"Yes, well…" Simon ran a hand through his hair as if he was nervous. "Listen, Jeanette, I…"

"CAN YOU BELIEVE THE NERVE OF HER? WHAT DO YOU WANNA BET THAT SHE MADE A MOVE ON HIM? HOW MUCH DO YOU WANNA BET?"

Jeanette cringed as she glanced at her hotel room door. Surprisingly, _Eleanor _was the one ranting, not her more outgoing sister.

"I should probably tell her to quiet down," Jeanette said. She hoped Eleanor's shouting hadn't woken up the whole hotel.

Simon gave her a lopsided grin and nodded as if he completely understood; and Jeanette knew he did.

"Siblings…" they sighed together. They returned to their rooms.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you," Theodore said the moment Simon entered his sight.

Simon blinked. "It's fine."

"No it's not," Theodore said. Simon thought he heard a bit of sadness in his brother's voice. "It's just been a really long night."

Simon nodded, although his curiosity was getting the best of him. What could've possibly gotten Theodore so upset? Theodore was sensitive, but he always managed to give off an optimistic vibe.

"I know I said I'd stay out of it," Simon said slowly, carefully choosing his words. "But if you want to talk about it, I'm here."

Theodore gave a half-hearted smile. "I know, Simon. Thanks. But for right now, I think I just want to sleep on it."

"Okay." This surprised Simon. Much like Dave, Theodore was never hesitant to talk things out. This odd behavior from Theodore was almost surreal.

It was at that moment that Alvin stormed out the bathroom, dressed in his pajamas. On his way to his bed, he stopped in front of Simon, who was looking at him curiously.

"I don't want to talk about it," he said with a scowl.

"I wasn't going to ask about it," Simon calmly replied.

"Yes you were." There was no doubt in Alvin's voice. "You had that look on your face that you always get when you're about to meddle in my business. So do us all a favor and _stay out of it_."

With that, Alvin dramatically flopped on to his bed and pulled the covers over his head. Simon rolled his eyes and turned off the light, feeling half-thankful and half-regretful that he hadn't accompanied his brothers that night.

* * *

Whew. That was a pretty long chapter! Don't forget to let me know what you think!


	17. Chapter 17: Silence

A/N: Thank you for waiting patiently. I'm sorry this took so long to publish. AATC is kind of losing my interest, to be honest. Don't get me wrong, I still like the 'munks, but I'm getting other interests. Still, I WILL finish this story, don't worry. Anyway, please enjoy!

* * *

**Friday, July 25**

**11:24 AM**

Simon was convinced that there was something wrong with him.

He usually enjoyed quietness. Thanks to living with Alvin all these years, he usually _craved_ silence. But today, when he actually had silence, he wasn't enjoying it nearly as much as he should.

Theodore and Eleanor weren't speaking. Alvin and Brittany weren't speaking. Simon had never realized how much noise there actually was when the four of them were on speaking terms.

The first few days of quiet were great. Simon was able to read two books, upgrade his computer interruption-free, and talk to Jeanette without having to yell over giggles and arguments from the others.

But now Simon was finding the silence almost eerie. The RV seemed to lose its warm appeal; the only thing anyone ever did anymore was eat, sleep, and gaze at a magazine or out the window. Simon felt like his life was now _too_ quiet.

And he didn't like it.

"This is getting ridiculous," Jeanette said. The RV had stopped at a rest area and she and Simon were the only ones in the vehicle.

"It's _been _ridiculous," Simon sighed.

"I wonder what happened between them," Jeanette said thoughtfully, obviously referring to their siblings.

"Eleanor and Brittany haven't told you?" Simon raised his eyebrows.

Jeanette shook her head and said, "No, which is odd because we usually tell each other everything. Have Alvin and Theodore talked to you?"

"Alvin hasn't," Simon said. "But he's obviously really bothered by something, hence his bad attitude lately."

"What about Theodore?"

"He told me that Eleanor was mad at him," Simon replied. "But he won't tell me why. He just says that he did something very, very bad."

They sat quietly for a few minutes. Jeanette tilted her head slightly to the right, something she did when she was thinking hard.

"Do you think it has something to do with Jenna?" Jeanette asked. "You know, Doug's sister? She seemed to really like Theodore. What if they…"

"I don't think so Jeanette," Simon said. "This is Theodore we're talking about."

"Well," Jeanette said slowly, "he said he did something very, very bad."

"It doesn't take much for Theodore to feel guilty."

"But it's possible," Jeanette said. "Simon, Theodore is a teenage boy, you know. Maybe he felt… tempted."

Simon didn't reply. He often forgot that his "baby brother" wasn't exactly a baby anymore. He wasn't quite as mature as Simon or as daring as Alvin, but Theodore was still, like Jeanette said, a teenage boy. Perhaps it was possible that he had given into a pretty girl's temptation.

"So do you think we should do something?" Jeanette asked timidly. "I hate that everyone is fighting."

"I don't think there's much we can do," Simon admitted. "I think we should let them try to work it out. And not everyone is fighting. We're still getting along, aren't we?"

Jeanette grinned. Before she could reply, there were footsteps coming up the steps of the RV.

Eleanor emerged, glaring at both of them.

"I know you two were talking about us," she spat.

Simon sighed. Eleanor had been uncharacteristically irritable these last few days. The usual sweetness in her personality had got sour, and she was almost more unbearable than Alvin.

"We weren't saying anything bad, Ellie," Jeanette nervously explained. "We were just—"

"Yeah, well, stop," Eleanor snapped. "If you want to know why I'm so upset, why don't you go ask precious little Theodore? He could tell you all about it."

Eleanor stomped toward the small bedroom and slammed the door. Jeanette and Simon exchanged alarmed glances.

The remaining unhappy siblings filed on the bus one by one, and were followed by an oblivious Dave. Dave was so busy driving the RV and arranging things for there shows that he had not seemed to notice the change in his sons and neighbors.

Simon leaned back in his seat and hoped that this thing the others were going through was just a phase. He turned his head toward Jeanette and couldn't help by grin as she adjusted her glasses and pulled out a novel, oblivious that he was watching her.

At least _they _weren't fighting.

…

**9:57 PM**

**New Orleans, LA**

The show gone smoothly despite the fact that most of the group were in sour moods. Thankfully, everyone was professional enough to get through the concert with smiling faces.

There were mixed emotions when Dave announced that there was going to be an after-party backstage. Simon and Jeanette had beamed at the news, but Alvin was disappointed. He loved parties, but there was no point in going if his father was going to be there. Where was the fun in that?

But Dave made him go, along with everyone else, because there would be some fans with backstage passes. Alvin eventually convinced himself that this might not be so bad after all. If he could find a pretty fan and sneak her off somewhere away from the party, maybe he could get his mind off of Brittany for a few hours.

There was a large room backstage that was full of crew members and lucky fans. Brittany stood alone by the punch table, only talking when someone asked for an autograph or photo. Eleanor and Theodore chatted with fans, but avoided one another. Only Simon and Jeanette seemed to be enjoying themselves.

"How long are we supposed to stay at this thing?" Eleanor asked. She had just leaned on the table next to Brittany.

"I don't know," Brittany sighed. She glared at Jeanette, who was giggling with Simon in the center of the room. "I wonder if Dave would notice if we just went back to our dressing room. It's not like we're…"

The words died on her tongue. Making his way through the crowd was Justin, stumbling a bit, obviously tipsy. Brittany had only seen Justin during the shows, and hadn't spoken to him ever since the night the broke up.

"What's wrong?" Eleanor asked, following Brittany's gaze. She frowned when she saw Justin. "C'mon, let's just go. If Dave asks where we went, we'll just say we didn't feel well or something."

Brittany nodded and followed her sister toward the exit. However, they came to a halt when a tall figure stopped them.

"Hey Brittany," Justin said. She could smell alcohol on his breath. "Haven't talked to you in a while."

"Excuse me," Brittany said in an icy voice. She tried to step around Justin, but he mirrored her motion, once again blocking her way.

"You never gave me a chance to explain," Justin said.

"What is there to explain?" Brittany was in no mood for this. "I _heard _you talking to your _girlfriend_. I heard everything you said. Now get out of my way."

He blocked her again.

"Do we need to call security?" Eleanor asked, her hands on her hips.

Justin laughed and said, "They can't do anything to me."

"Well I suppose we could get the police involved," Brittany threatened. "I'm sure they'd love to know about a minor drinking. It might be hard to play in the band if you're in jail."

Justin narrowed his eyes and Brittany felt a bit weary. She had never seen Justin look so mean.

"You know what?" he spat. "I'm glad things ended between us… not that there was really a thing to end. It's not like we did anything. You were just a tease." He laughed again. "Not that I would want to do anything with you. You're nothing but a filthy rodent, and you'll never…"

Suddenly, a blur of red appeared in front of Brittany and there was a distinct sound of a fist punching a face. Brittany gasped as Justin yelled in pain and staggered backwards.

Brittany shrieked. She stepped to the side to get a look Alvin; he looked absolutely furious.

Justin looked equally as angry. He lunged forward and swung at Alvin, who dodged in time. Alvin punched Justin in the stomach, causing the older boy to hunch over and wheeze.

"ALVIN!"

A red-faced Dave was marching over. By this time, everyone in the room was watching the scene in silence.

Alvin didn't stick around. He pushed open the doors and fled the room, leaving everyone behind in shock and confusion. A few people had gathered around Justin, who was on his hands in knees, wincing in pain.

Brittany simply stood there, mouth ajar, wondering what had just happened. One minute she was being called a rodent, and the next, Alvin was punching Justin in the face.

"Brittany," Eleanor breathed next to her. "Are you… maybe we should…"

Brittany walked toward the exit and opened the doors. She was met by the slight chill of the hallway, and her high heels clicked against the cement floor as she hurried toward the Chipmunk's dressing room.

She knocked on the door. No answer. She knocked again.

"Alvin, it's me!" she called. She tried to open the door, but, as she suspected, it was locked. "Alvin, open up!"

Either Alvin was ignoring her, or he wasn't in the room. She chose to believe the latter.

She texted a quick "Where R U?" text to Alvin. She hadn't been expecting a reply, so she was shocked when she got a quick response:

_The RV. Come alone._

A few minutes later, Brittany found herself out in the dark, chilly night standing in front of the RV. Her stomach was in knots, but she knew she had to talk to him. Maybe this would the ice-breaker she had been secretly hoping for.

She pulled the door open and climbed up the steps. Alvin was lying on his back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Brittany silently made her way toward him and sat on the bed as well. For a few minutes, neither one of them spoke; they were obviously lost in their thoughts.

"Thank you," Brittany suddenly said.

Alvin looked at her curiously.

"For hitting him," Brittany elaborated. "I was about to do it myself…"

Alvin snorted. "No you weren't."

The Chipette sat up a little straighter. "I was too! He was acting like a total…"

"You're welcome."

Brittany's mouth shut. She looked at him for a few moments; he seemed to be deep in thought.

"Why'd you do it?" Brittany asked softly. "Why did you punch him?"

Alvin sighed and ran a hand through his thick hair. "You… you know why, Brittany. You know."

And she did. But she wanted him to say it.

"I wish things weren't so weird between us," Brittany said without thinking. She hadn't meant to say that out loud.

Alvin sat up. "Things have always been weird between us."

"No they haven't," Brittany said, shaking her head. "I mean, we've always had a… an _interesting_ relationship, but it never felt weird. Arguing with you, competing against you… it's always seemed normal to me." She felt herself grin. "Sometimes you're the only person I feel normal around."

Alvin rolled his eyes. "Don't get all dramatic."

Brittany's grin slid off her face and was replaced with a frown. "_This_ is why things are weird, Alvin. You're _making_ them weird. You're so immature. Here I am, being completely honest and heart-felt, and you have the balls to insult me and-"

"Truth or dare?" he blurted.

Brittany's face screwed up in confusion. "What are you talking about? This isn't the time for—"

"I owe you a dare," Alvin told her. "I said the game wasn't technically over, remember? I promised you a better question. So, truth or dare?"

Brittany frowned, vaguely recalling the conversation they had months ago after playing that silly game of truth or dare. She remembered him telling her that his next dare was going to be "the craziest dare ever," but she hadn't given it any thought since then.

"Well? Truth or dare?"

She considered picking truth just to annoy him, but he seemed serious.

"Dare," she answered, unable to keep the suspiciousness out of her voice.

Alvin moved closer to her. "I dare you to kiss me, right here, right now, and don't hold anything back."

Brittany's heart almost pounded right out of her chest.

"What is it?" Alvin grinned at her hesitation. "Scared?"

_I'll show you scared,_ she thought wickedly. She leaned in and kissed him as hard as she could, and wanted to squeal with glee when he kissed her with just as much urgency.

This was, by far, the _best_ dare she had ever accepted.

* * *

A/N: Sorry that was short, but I really wanted to get a chapter out this week, since I'll be very busy in the next month with school and stuff. I know it was a bit rushed. There are only a few more chapters left though. Yay! Reviews are always appreciated.


	18. Chapter 18: Sleepless in Dallas

**A/N: **As many of you know, my computer recently got a really nasty virus. That's why it took me so long to update (well, that's the MAIN reason anyway). Sort of a short chapter, but I really wanted to get something out there. Hopefully there will be a longer chapter in the future, but I didn't want you guys to have to wait longer. I do think Theodore and Eleanor fans will be pleased though... as well as fans of fluff. God, this one is fluffy! Hope you guys like it. :)

* * *

**10:30**

"We should probably go back."

"Do we have to?" Alvin whined like a kindergartener.

Brittany reluctantly stood up. She wanted to leave the privacy of the RV as much as Alvin did—which was not at all. They had spent the last ten minutes kissing like they didn't have a care in the world. The last thing Brittany wanted to do was stop and return to the real world, but she knew they had to.

"Yeah," Brittany said. "You know Dave is looking for you. Punching someone in the face is kind of a big deal to him, you know? I don't think you're just going to be able to talk your way out of this one, Alvin. Did you see how pissed off Dave looked? What if Justin presses charges? Luckily you're a minor, so I don't think—"

Brittany was interrupted by Alvin's lips pressing to hers, which were still delightfully numb from their make-out session a few minutes before.

Alvin pulled away and gave her a mischievous grin. "You talk too much," he told her.

Ironically, Brittany was suddenly speechless.

Alvin was making his way toward the door when it suddenly opened. Dave climbed up the stairs, his eyes narrowing as soon as he saw his son.

"I knew you were in here," Dave growled, although Brittany wondered, if Dave knew where Alvin was, why did it take nearly fifteen minutes to find him? Still, Dave looked slightly triumphant. "You know, you aren't as predictable as you think, Alvin…"

Dave's voice trailed off when Brittany walked into his view. His jaw dropped and his eyes widened.

Alvin smirked at his father. "You were saying?"

…

**Saturday, July 26**

**1:58 AM**

**Dallas, TX**

Theodore was usually the first of his brothers to go to bed. He was definitely the kind of person who went to bed early; Theodore liked his sleep.

But as he lay their in the hotel bed, sleep was the furthest thing from his mind.

He could hear Simon's steady breathing, and Alvin's occasionally groans and mumblings (the oldest Seville brother was known to talk in his sleep). They had put on a great show tonight. Dave had mentioned that it was their biggest audience yet. Normally the big, exciting night would have exhausted Theodore, but not tonight. The only thing on Theodore's mind was a certain blond chipette.

Theodore sighed, slipped on his shoes, grabbed the room key off the night stand, and quietly slipped out into the hall. He couldn't stand just lying there in the dark; maybe some movement would do him some good.

The chipmunk made his way into the nearly-empty lobby. A bored employee flipped through a magazine at the counter. Theodore couldn't help but think how awful it would be to work a shift at two o'clock in the morning. Theodore could count on one hand the amount of times he had _ever _been up at this hour.

"Theodore?"

Theodore yelped. He hadn't been expecting someone to say his name…

He turned and was met with a pair of brown eyes. Large, beautiful brown eyes.

_Ellie._

"Uh," Theodore stammered, "hi Eleanor."

Eleanor nodded in response, which was extremely weird. Nodding seemed so… _formal. _Not that him calling her "Eleanor" was much better...

"What are you doing up so late?" she asked, obviously trying to sound casual.

Theodore's heart was beating so hard and fast, he was sure Eleanor could see it under his night shirt.

"I couldn't sleep," he admitted. He forced himself to look her in the eye. "Why are _you _up so late?"

Eleanor gave him a weak smile. "Same as you. I can't sleep."

Silence. Theodore watched Eleanor look down and pretend to be very interested in a scuff on the floor. Theodore wondered what he should do. Should he walk away? No. He was tired of walking away from his problems. Something needed to be done. But what?

"Look, Ellie, I-"

Eleanor had spoken at the same time: "Theodore, I-"

They exchanged cautious grins. Theodore took a deep breath and started again, in the strongest, most Alvin-like voice he could muster.

"Ellie, we need to talk."

To his surprise, Eleanor nodded and said, "I agree."

They walked across the quiet lobby toward a couch in front of a fireplace. For a moment, no one spoke. Theodore eventually decided that he wanted to talk first. As much as he liked Eleanor, she tended to interrupt him sometimes.

"I don't want to go on like this," Theodore said, making vague gestures to explain what "this" was. "I don't want you to be mad at me anymore. I can't stand not talking to you. I… I miss you, Ellie."

Eleanor's brown eyes instantly warmed. Theodore almost gasped when she grabbed his hand and said, "I miss you too, Theodore. And I'm not mad at you."

Theodore's eyes widened. "Y-you're not?"

Eleanor gave a light sigh. "Well, I was. But now I'm actually more mad at myself." She squeezed his hand a little tighter. "Theodore, I wasn't fair to you at all. I should have trusted you with Jenna. I was being stupid. I'm so sorry I-"

"Jenna kissed me," Theodore blurted.

Eleanor blinked a few times, and her grip on Theodore's hand loosened. "What?" she whispered in disbelief.

Theodore closed his eyes and instantly hated himself for being such an idiot. Why had he said that? Things were going so well! Things were going to be okay! Why, oh_ why_, did he have to say that?

But he knew why. He and Eleanor had always been honest with each other. Jenna kissing him was something Eleanor needed to know, and she needed to hear it from him.

Theodore opened his eyes. Eleanor's expression was unreadable, but he knew something needed to be said.

"After we got into that fight on the beach," Theodore said slowly, "Jenna and I got to talking. She kept giving me all these compliments, and she said she liked me. Then she… well, she kissed me." Saying the words out loud again made him wince. "I told her I wasn't interested, that I already had a girlfriend. I feel really bad about all this, Ellie. I didn't mean for-"

"Did you kiss her back?" Eleanor's voice was distant, almost robotic.

Theodore tried to think back on the moment… it was all so foggy, almost as if it was a dream. Or, more accurately, a nightmare.

"Not really," he answered. "I didn't push her away right away because I didn't even know what was happening." He sighed miserably. "You were right, though. About Jenna, I mean. She liked me, and she was trying to steal me from you."

Eleanor bit her lip and looked at Theodore. "Did… did you like kissing her?"

"No," Theodore said honestly. "It was weird. You're the only one I want to kiss."

Theodore blushed. Did he not have a filter tonight?

But Eleanor's tiny grin made him relax. "Thank you, Theodore."

"For what?"

"For being honest." She squeezed his hand again. "And don't feel bad. It's all my fault. If I wouldn't have acted so horrible that night, you wouldn't have been alone with Jenna in the first place."

Theodore considered this. "That's true…"

Eleanor let out a giggle. "It is. I just… I just felt really jealous."

Theodore frowned. "Why?"

The chipette rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on Theodore. Jenna is gorgeous and skinny and…"

"You have nothing to be jealous of, Ellie," Theodore interrupted. "Look, I don't tell you this enough, but you're beautiful."

Eleanor gave him a shy smile. "And you're very handsome. I don't tell _you_ that enough."

Theodore grinned, and felt another blush coming on. "Thanks, Ellie. You know, sometimes it's kind of hard being brothers with Alvin and Simon. Alvin is so popular and Simon is so smart, and I'm just… Theodore."

The blond let out an airy sigh. "Oh, Theo. You are so much more than that. You're the sweetest, kindest person I've ever met. Plus you're a great listener. I can't talk to Alvin and Simon the way I talk with you. Alvin has the attention span of a sugar-crazed pre-schooler, and I can't tell when Simon is being sarcastic or not." This earned a laugh from Theodore. "And you have _tons_ of fans. Trust me, I've checked out the message boards."

Theodore blinked. "Message boards?"

"Yeah," Eleanor said. She shifted uncomfortably. "Online. People give their opinions about us and our shows."

"What do they say about you?"

Eleanor stared at her slippers and snorted. "Let's just say they're a lot more flattering when it comes to you."

Without thinking twice about it, Theodore leaned forward and kissed her. She kissed him back, and his heart did a somersault in his chest.

"Don't worry about what they say," Theodore said softly, pulling away. "You're smart, funny, pretty, and great at singing and sports. They're just jealous."

Eleanor smiled weakly. Theodore knew she may not have bought what he was saying, but he was pretty sure it made her feel better.

"Thank you," she whispered. She gave him a light kiss and said, "You know, there is another advantage that you have over your brothers."

"What's that?"

She kissed him again and gave him an adorable, wide grin. "You've got me."


	19. Chapter 19: Jeanette's Discovery

**A/N: **Hi all! Yes, I'm still alive! This chapter was fun to write, probably the most fun I've had writing this story in a long time. Hope you enjoy it. Remember, reviews are always encouraged!

* * *

**Tuesday, July 29**

**2:57 PM**

**Houston, TX**

"Do I have to?"

Dave sighed at his son. "For the hundredth time, Alvin: yes, you _have_ to."

Alvin groaned. Over a week had went by since the whole punching incident, and Alvin had yet to apologize to Justin, despite Dave reminding him to do so every five minutes. Alvin tried telling Dave that he hit Justin because he was harassing Brittany, but that didn't seem to be a good enough reason for Dave.

With a heavy sigh, Alvin knocked on the band's RV door. The beat of a rap song thumped so loudly that the windows were shaking. The door swung open, and Alvin was amazed that anyone could hear anything over the deafening song.

Doug's grinning face appeared, all clear skin, blond hair, and boy scout smile. He looked like he should be listening to a boy band, not hardcore rap.

"Hi, guys," he said, signaling for someone to turn down the music. "What's up?"

"Hi Doug," Dave said, sounding much nicer than he had sounded a few seconds ago while talking to his son. "Is Justin in there?"

Doug opening his mouth to say something, but Alvin had already turned around, ready to leave.

"Oh, he's not around?" Alvin guessed. "Well, too bad. Thanks anyway, Doug, see ya-"

Dave grabbed Alvin by the collar and turned him around. Alvin avoided looking at his father, but he did hear the angry, "Alvin, knock it off," muttered under his breath.

"I was going to say that Justin is inside," Doug said with a puzzled look. "Do you need him?"

"Yes," Dave said, the same time Alvin said, "No."

"Alvin!" Dave hissed. He turned to Doug, looking more confused than ever. "Doug, could you please bring him out."

"Sure," Doug said. "Just give me a minute, I think he's on the phone."

After Doug disappeared into the RV, Dave turned to Alvin and said, "Well, it's up to you now, Alvin. I trust that you'll be respectful during your apology."

Alvin's eyes widened when Dave began walking away. He caught his father's wrist.

"You're leaving me?" Alvin yelped.

Dave frowned and pried Alvin's hand off his arm. "Alvin, you're not eight-years-old anymore. You don't need me to-"

"I don't think I can do it, Dave," Alvin muttered.

"Alvin," Dave sighed. "I understand you two don't get along, but you need to try to put your differences aside and-"

"You don't understand," Alvin said, his voice sounding desperate. "If I see him again, I'll hit him. I know I will."

Dave was frowning now. "Alvin Seville, that's ridic-"

"You don't know what he did to Brittany!" Alvin snapped.

Dave's face instantly softened, full of concern and confusion. "What do you mean? I know they broke up, but… what are you talking about?"

Alvin chewed on the inside of his cheek, debating whether or not to tell Dave what exactly happened between Justin and Brittany. In the last few days, he and Brittany had been getting along better than they ever had, and Alvin had gathered that Brittany didn't want everyone to know the exact circumstances as to why her relationship with Justin crumbled.

But this was Dave, and Alvin knew Dave wouldn't say anything. And besides, it wasn't like he was going to give him the whole story.

"He used Brittany," Alvin admitted. "He pretended to like her so he'd be famous."

Dave blinked in surprise. "Wait… so… you hit him?"

Alvin shifted his eyes. "He was harassing her," he said, feeling angry all over again.

"Harassing her?"

"Yeah," Alvin said with a nod. "He called her a rodent… among other things."

"Oh, Alvin," Dave said , quietly. "I had no idea. I mean, you still shouldn't have hit anyone-"

"I know, I know," Alvin said through his teeth. No matter what he said, Dave obviously wouldn't give his violence the thumbs-up. "I just…" He trailed off when he noticed Dave's slow smile.

"You have feelings for Brittany, don't you?" Dave asked gently. "You two were talking in the RV that night-"

"You wanted to see me?"

Dave and Alvin looked up to see Justin standing at the door, looking very reluctant.

"Um, yes," Dave said, standing up a little straighter. He glanced at Alvin and sighed. "Actually, Justin, I think you and I need to talk about some things that have-"

Alvin touched his father's arm and said, "Actually, Dave… I got this."

Dave raised an eyebrow. "You do? Alvin, are you…"

"I'll be fine, Dave," Alvin said, sounding calmer than what he felt. "Don't worry."

Dave looked uncertain for a few moments, then sighed in surrender. "Alright. Fine."

Alvin watched his father reluctantly walk away, turning around every few steps to make sure no one was getting punched in the face.

"What's wrong Seville?" Justin snarled as he stepped off the RV. "You need Daddy to walk you to visit me?"

Alvin clenched his fist, but didn't reply. Dave had trusted him to be mature about this.

"Look, about what happened last week," Alvin muttered. "I'm… I just wanted to say…"

Justin leaned against the RV with a smug grin on his pretty-boy face. "Oh, so Daddy is making you apologize? How cute."

"Damn right _he's _making me apologize," Alvin said, eyes narrowed. "In my opinion, you don't deserve an apology."

"Oh yeah?" Justin chuckled obnoxiously. God, what did Brittany ever see in this loser? "And what do I deserve?"

"I already gave you what you deserve," Alvin told him. "Look, just stay away from Brittany."

Justin shrugged. "No problem. But hey, what about the chubby blond one? Or the dork with the glasses? Are _they _available?" Justin let out that horrible laugh again.

To Alvin's amazement, he didn't hit Justin, even though every fiber in his body was begging him to do so. Instead, he just glared at the jackass and said, "This isn't over."

Alvin turned to leave and heard Justin laughing behind him. "Oh, I'm petrified!" he howled.

"You better be," Alvin murmured to himself as he walked away. He didn't know how, but he knew he needed to get revenge on this tool somehow.

**Friday**

**Oklahoma City, OK**

**Hotel room**

**6:17 PM**

For the first time in a long time, Simon was actually looking forward to attending a party.

Yes, it was one of those typical Hollywood-style parties (despite being in Oklahoma) that he had been forced to attend ever since he was a pre-schooler. But this party would be different, because at this party, he would ask Jeanette to be his girlfriend. Hopefully. Maybe. Possibly.

Some basketball player Oklahoma City Thunder NBA team was hosting the party, and Simon and the others had somehow gotten an invite. Simon was reluctant at first, but then he decided that he could ask Jeanette to be his girlfriend during a dance or something. Something romantic.

Simon's stomach turned at the thought. Romantic? Who was he kidding? Simon was one of the least romantic people on the planet. Oh, if only he would have watched a dating show or two instead of inventing time machines in his basement!

"Hey! Simon! Earth to Simon!"

Simon blinked when a familiar hand waved in front of his face.

"Simon!" Alvin called, even thought he was standing inches away from his brother. "Are you done with the toothpaste yet? I've been waiting forever."

"Oh. Right. Sorry." Simon handed his brother the tube of Crest, and noted that he _had _been holding it an awfully long time.

"Is something on your mind, Simon?" Theodore piped up. He had been awfully cheery since he and Eleanor made up.

Simon sighed. "No, it's nothing…"

"You do know that your buttons on your shirt are buttoned crooked, right?" Alvin said, his mouth full of foamy toothpaste.

Simon looked down. Sure enough, the buttons on his dress shirt were buttoned wrong. He felt his face flush as he hastily re-buttoned himself.

"Are you thinking about Jeanette?" Theodore asked, combing his hair in the mirror.

"No," Simon answered. How could Theodore pick up on these things so easily.

Alvin spat into the sink. "Lair."

Simon sighed again. "Okay, so Jeanette has been on my mind. Tonight I'm going to… um…"

"Admit you have the hots for her?" Alvin supplied.

Simon narrowed his eyes at his brother. "Not so much in those words. I want to ask her to be my girlfriend."

Alvin rolled his eyes, and Simon watched in envy as he was able to button up _his_ shirt correctly. "What is this, the 50's? You don't just ask someone to be your girlfriend."

"I asked Eleanor to be my girlfriend," Theodore said.

Alvin snorted. "That's my point. Look, Simon, you don't _ask _those things. You just _know_."

"Okay," Simon said calmly, "so is Brittany your girlfriend?"

Alvin's cocky expression faltered. "We're not talking about Brittany-"

"But you should at least _know_, right?" Theodore said with a sly grin. "Unless you haven't asked her."

"I haven't asked her," Alvin snapped. "I just told you guys _not _to do that. Why would I?"

"So is she?" Simon asked, happy that the topic of conversation had drifted away from him. "Your girlfriend, I mean?"

Alvin let out a dramatic sigh. "No. We're just… friends."

"But you want to be more, right?" Theodore asked gently.

Alvin didn't answer. Instead he grabbed his favorite comb and worked on that thick hair of his,.

"Ask her to be your girlfriend, Alvin," Theodore encouraged. "I mean, I'm sure she likes you after everything that happened."

By this point, Brittany and Alvin's siblings had been filled in on the whole Justin fiasco.

"Look, just don't worry about me, okay?" Alvin said, not looking at anyone but his reflection in the mirror. "Brittany and I are just friends, and we like where we're at right now. So drop it, both of you."

_Lair, _Simon thought with a grin. Thankfully, Alvin didn't bring up the Jeanette thing again.

**Party**

**12:45 AM**

Jeanette stood alone in a corner, feeling uncomfortable in her plum-colored mini dress that Brittany made her wear. Simon had left to get them bottles of water ("It's the only drink we'll know isn't spiked," Simon had explained), but that was over ten minutes ago.

The Chipette sighed. She couldn't really blame Simon for taking so long. The crowd was out of control, which was sad, considering this beautiful house would be destroyed by morning. Dave wouldn't have let them come if he would've known it would be so rowdy.

Picking at her lavender nail polish, Jeanette was almost secretly glad she could get away from Simon. He was acting very strangely tonight, stuttering and looking flushed and nervous. At first, Jeanette was excited, because she realized that Simon was working up the courage to ask her out. But they had been at the party for nearly six hours (which was about five hours too long in Jeanette's opinion), and Simon hadn't made a move.

Jeanette certainly didn't want to make a move. What if Simon got offended if _she _had to ask _him_ out. Some boys were like that, and she just couldn't risk Simon being angry at her.

A few more minutes passed, and despite being around what had to be hundreds of people, Jeanette felt very alone. Plus she had to go to the bathroom. She sent a quick text to Simon, letting him know where she'd be, then she took off to find the restroom.

This guy's house wasn't just a house- it was a mansion. Jeanette felt like a tiny mouse inside a maze looking for cheese. It seemed like every room was the wrong one.

After what felt like hours, Jeanette found the bathroom. After a painful fifteen minute wait in line, Jeanette did her business and left.

Jeanette was pretty sure she took a wrong turn on the way back. It was a lot quieter in this part of the house. As she turned a corner, Jeanette heard moaning and sloppy kissing coming from an open bedroom door.

_Disgusting, _Jeanette thought with a wrinkle of her nose.

She got ready to speed walk past the room, but she heard a distinct male voice: "Oh yeah, baby. You're so hot."

Jeanette stopped in her tracks. Justin?

The Chipette narrowed her eyes, deep in thought. Didn't Justin have a girlfriend back home?

Heart pounding, Jeanette crept closer to the door and gentle pushed it open.

She quickly realized that her quietness didn't matter. The couple in the room wouldn't have noticed if aliens from out space appeared in the room with their heads on fire. The two were a blur of sloppy kisses and hands.

Jeanette studied the pair. At one point, the light hit Justin's face, confirming it was him. And from the way his eyes were glazed over, it also confirmed he wasn't sober.

But the girl… who was the girl? Whoever it was had shiny black hair and had enough money to afford an pricy-looking Victoria's Secret bra. Then she turned slightly, and Jeanette's eyes widened.

It was Destiny Walters, that reality star from _The Bay_. The girl who was rude to Brittany at the party last month in Chicago.

Jeanette was processing this information when a voice behind her said her name. She gasped and spun around, but instantly felt relief when she saw Simon standing there with two water bottles.

"Jeanette, I was-"

Jeanette clasped her hand over Simon's mouth. She nodded her head toward the bedroom and put a finger to her lips.

Simon looked confused, but peeked into the bedroom. Jeanette watched his eyebrows go up in surprise when he realized who the frisky couple was.

"Wow," he breathed. "What are the odds of that happening?"

Jeanette's heart was still racing. She needed to take advantage of this moment. The moment could give Justin the revenge he deserved.

Before she could stop herself, Jeanette raised her phone and took a few quick snapshots.

"What are you doing?" Simon whispered.

After getting a few shots (low quality, but good enough to tell who they were), Jeanette hurried down the hall. She was stopped when Simon grabbed her arm.

"Jeanette," he said, no longer sound nervous. "What are you doing?"

"I think I saw some reporters downstairs," Jeanette quickly explained. "If I could just get them up here to see-"

"Why?" Simon asked with a frown.

Jeanette looked at Simon like he was from another planet. "So we can get this story out," she said, as if it was obvious. "Justin will be exposed for the two-timing jerk he is."

Jeanette's heart sped up even more when disappointment flashed on Simon's face. "Jeanette, this isn't like you."

"He hurt Brittany," Jeanette said, as if that explained everything. Which it did.

"But if you do this," Simon said, "you'll hurt his girlfriend too."

"No, I'd be doing her a favor," Jeanette argued. She was feeling a bit peeved now. "She deserves to know."

"Having the story on the front of a tabloid isn't the best way to let someone know that their boyfriend is cheating on her," Simon pointed out.

Jeanette bit her lip. Simon had a point. But this was a one time opportunity. She just _had _to get Justin back for using Brittany like that. She just had to.

"I admire your loyalty toward your sister," Simon said gently. "But I think you should stay out of this."

Jeanette tried to appreciate the statement, but couldn't help but feel like Simon was talking down to her. She almost asked if he would do the same thing for Alvin when she realized that he probably wouldn't. Simon hated breaking the rules and getting into other people's business. Normally Jeanette did too. But this was different.

"Simon," Jeanette said, keeping her voice firm. "Justin isn't going to get away with this."

Simon let out a deep sigh. "Jeanette, please. Just let it go."

Jeanette was not usually the kind of girl who got fired up about anything, or who held grudges. But she couldn't just let it go. This boy had completely destroyed Brittany. He called her a "rodent." He lied to her. He _used _her. Why didn't Simon understand this?

"Why are you acting like this?" Simon asked, his voice soft. "Where's the sweet Jeanette I know?"

This only annoyed Jeanette even more. Yes, she was usually sweet and timid and shy and meek, but she wasn't always that way! Is that what Simon thought?

And why was she still here talking to Simon? She had the paparazzi to catch.

"You may ruin a few lives, you know," Simon pointed out. "You wouldn't want that, Jeanette."

"I don't care if his life gets ruined," Jeanette muttered.

Simon blinked in surprise.

"He was pretty awful to Alvin, too," Jeanette said, her voice getting lighter. "Alvin told Brittany that he tried to apologize to Justin the other day, but he just insulted him some more. He also said some mean things about Eleanor and me."

Simon frowned. "What do you and Eleanor have to do with anything?"

Jeanette shrugged. "He joked that maybe he should try to get with Ellie or me next. He said something about Eleanor's weight and the way I look." She sighed and looked at Simon. "He's just not a nice person, Simon. And that Destiny girl isn't exactly a sweetheart either."

Simon was still frowning. "He shouldn't have said those things about you."

"He shouldn't have said or did a lot of things," Jeanette told him. She suddenly felt very drained; all that adrenaline had been sucked right out of her. "Look, just forget about everything. I won't tell the paparazzi."

Jeanette turned around and walked back toward the party. Unsurprisingly, Simon didn't follow her. She had a strong feeling that whatever he was planning on asking her tonight would either be put off or forgotten entirely. He hadn't seemed too impressed with her revenge-hungry attitude. Jeanette had to admit that it was pretty out of character for her to act that way, but this was the guy who put her sister through hell. And if Simon didn't understand that, than maybe he wasn't right for her anyway.

But she was letting the opportunity slip away with time. Jeanette wasn't a liar though; she told Simon she wouldn't say anything, so she wasn't going to say anything.

So Jeanette wandered alone around the house, finally settling in a living room with a huge TV. There were a few people making out on the couch, but Jeanette plopped down anyway and mindlessly stared at the TV set that was turned to a sports channel. Shortly after that, she got a text from Dave that he must've sent to the whole group. He was picking them up out front in five minutes; it was time to go.

Jeanette had hardly seen her sisters and Alvin and Theodore since they had arrived to the party, but they apparently had a good time, because they wouldn't shut up on the way back to the hotel. Jeanette, however, remained silent. Simon did as well.

When it was time for bed, Jeanette quickly brushed her teeth, splashed some water on her face, stripped out of her dress, put on a big t-shirt, and climbed into bed before her sisters could ask any questions. They didn't, of course. Brittany and Eleanor knew Jeanette wasn't exactly a night owl, so they probably just assumed she was tired.

Jeanette did her best to block out her sisters' giggling by pulling the covers over her head. Then the tears started to flow. She had lost her chance at a boyfriend, as well as her chance for revenge. The worst part was that she probably could have had at least one if she could've made a choice. But it was too late now.

It was too late for a lot of things.


	20. Chapter 20: Telling the Truth

**A/N: **Well… I suck. Once again, I'm sorry for the delay. But it's finally here: Chapter 20! I can't believe I've actually written a story this long. It's crazy! But this will probably be the second to last chapter… yes, that's right; this story is starting to come to a close. So only expect one or two more chapters. I'm not too happy with how this particular chapter ends, but it was all I could come up with; it's sort of all over the place and inconsistent (laziness and writer's block do not mix). Oh well… it is what it is.

Oh, and apparently you're supposed to add images now. Well, you don't have to obviously, but my South Park icon seemed a bit out of place. I did not draw the image, Charles Williams did. All credit goes to him.

Happy Reading!

* * *

**Saturday, August 2**

**7:34 AM **

**Oklahoma City**

**Hotel Dining Area**

"Jeanette! Look Out!"

Jeanette opened her eyes and jerked her head back up. She realized that her hair had been dangerously close to being dipped in her pancake syrup… again.

"Oops," Jeanette yawned. "I must have dozed off."

Brittany laughed. "You think?"

Jeanette stared at her breakfast, wishing she had an appetite. She hadn't been able to sleep at all the night before; she couldn't stop thinking about how much Simon probably hated her now. Not that she blamed him. It was her fault for acting like such a crazy person at the party.

Simon was sitting a few tables away with Theodore, who had three full plates of food. Simon hadn't spoken to Jeanette, and Jeanette hadn't spoken to him either. She hadn't even looked at him; she couldn't risk looking like a fool again.

"Is everything okay, Jeanette?" Eleanor asked. Her voice was gentle, but Jeanette was so deep in thought that it made her flinch.

"I'm fine," Jeanette said, cutting a piece of pancake. "I'm just tired, that's all."

"We're all tired, Jeanette," Brittany said, stirring her yogurt. "But you're, like, barely alive."

Jeanette shrugged. She hoped Simon wasn't listening to them. Theodore was going on about how great the buffet was, so maybe Simon was focused on him instead.

"I hope you're not getting sick," Eleanor said. She pressed a hand on Jeanette's forehead. "Hmm. It doesn't feel like you have a fever."

Jeanette sighed. "I don't. Eleanor, I'm fine." She politely removed her sister's motherly hand. "I'm just tired. I'll be fine."

Jeanette stared at a piece of bacon on her plate, ignoring the curious glances her sisters were exchanging. Brittany was about to say something when someone rushed into the lobby.

Alvin was panting by the time he reached the Chipettes' table. He was holding what looked like a newspaper.

"What the—" Brittany started to say. She stopped when Alvin shoved the paper at her.

"Read it," he commanded.

Brittany rolled her eyes. "This better be good. I don't like reading this early in the morning."

"You'll like reading this," Alvin promised with a sly grin.

Brittany raised her eyebrows, looking intrigued. Jeanette watched her sister scan the paper, which she realized was the entertainment section from the local city newspaper. Brittany's blue eyes widened and a hand clasped over her mouth.

"Oh my God," Brittany said in disbelief. "No way!"

Jeanette was immediately curious. What was going on?

Eleanor leaned over and read as well. Her reaction was similar to Brittany's; big eyes and jaw dropping.

An evil little grin appeared on Brittany's face. "Well it's about time he got what was coming to him."

Jeanette suddenly felt wide awake. She instantly knew what Brittany was looking at.

"Check it out, Jeanette," Brittany said. She turned the paper around for Jeanette to see.

And there it was: NEW BOY TOY FOR DESTINY? Under the caption was a picture of Destiny and Justin. They were coming out of the room Jeanette saw them in the night before; their hair was messy, clothes wrinkled. Destiny looked flushed and pleased; Justin looked horrified.

Jeanette swallowed hard as she skimmed through the article. _Destiny Walters has a new friend… The guitar player for Alvin and the Chipmunks… An unnamed source said they had been "together for hours."… the same source was the one who tipped us off about Miss Walter's fun._

Unnamed source? But hardly anyone had been in that section of the house. Just Jeanette and…

Jeanette looked at Simon. He wasn't even acknowledging their table; he just sat, eating his eggs and looking down at the business section of the newspaper.

Without thinking, Jeanette walked over to the silent chipmunk.

"Simon," she said when she got there, "can I talk to you for a minute?" She lowered her voice. "In private."

Simon slowly looked up from his reading. His expression was unreadable. "I suppose so," he said in an equally unreadable tone. He stood up and they walked away from their siblings, who were so engrossed in the Destiny/Justin article that they hadn't noticed Simon and Jeanette leaving.

"Simon," Jeanette said once they were out of ear shot, "did you hear about the article? The one about Justin and Destiny?"

Simon nodded. "Yes. I heard."

Jeanette took a deep breath. "Well, I just wanted to let you know that I wasn't the unnamed source. I didn't tell anyone, I swear."

"I know you didn't tell, Jeanette," Simon said, looking right at her.

Jeanette blinked. Well, that was easy. "Oh. Um, good."

Simon nodded and stared at the floor. Something was off here; then Jeanette had a thought. A very strange thought.

"Simon," Jeanette said slowly. "How are you so sure that I wasn't the one who told the reporters about Justin?"

Simon looked up at her again. There was sadness in his blue-grey eyes. "Because I was the one who told them."

Jeanette's jaw dropped. "Y-you did? It was you?"

Simon sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Jeanette realized that he looked just as tired as she felt. "Yes, it was me, and I feel pretty awful about it, so I'd appreciate if you tell anyone."

Jeanette couldn't help but stare. "But… why? I mean, you seemed so against it last night."

"I was," Simon confirmed. "I still am, actually. But I thought about what you said; about how much he hurt our siblings, how he wasn't a good person." Simon shrugged. "I guess I figured if this guy was bad enough to rile someone like you up, then he was worth taking down."

Jeanette was so confused; she didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She almost kissed him, but stopped herself; she didn't want their first kiss to be over getting revenge on someone.

"I know this makes me a hypocrite," Simon said after a brief silence. "I'm sorry for judging you about this. I don't think what I did was right, but I do think that Justin deserved to be taught a lesson. I don't know if this was the right way to do it, but I forced myself to tell a reporter before I could change my mind."

Jeanette stared at her untied sneakers. Simon had gone against his morals for her, and Simon was the most by-the-book, consistent, level-headed person she knew. If he was willing to do all that for Jeanette… what did that mean exactly?

"You didn't have to do that," Jeanette said quietly.

"I know," Simon agreed. "And I probably shouldn't have. I have a feeling I'll regret this."

Jeanette cracked a smile. "Imagine if Alvin found out. You'd be his hero."

Simon sighed. "Yes, this was a very Alvin-like action."

"So you two really _are_ related," Jeanette teased.

"I guess so," Simon said, giving her a small smile of his own. "However, don't count on Alvin reading science magazines any time soon."

Jeanette giggled. "Thank you Simon. You really didn't have to do that."

Simon nodded and said, "I did it for Brittany. And Alvin. And you and Eleanor." Simon gently grabbed her hand. "I didn't know he said things about you."

Jeanette blushed at his touch. "Yes, well, that's what Brittany said."

Simon offered her a sad smile. "I'm sorry if I offended you yesterday."

Jeanette shook her head. "No. I'm sorry for how I acted. I wasn't thinking clearly."

"Well apparently neither was I," Simon said. "I can't believe I actually talked to reporters about… that."

Jeanette grinned and squeezed his hand. "You're a good friend, Simon; and a good brother."

"Likewise," Simon said. "Just substitute sister for brother. Oh, and I would appreciate if we just kept this between us."

"Of course," Jeanette said. "Although Alvin would be very proud."

"That's why we can't tell anyone," Simon told her. This earned another chuckle from Jeanette. "Let's go finish our meals. Dave will probably want us to leave soon."

Jeanette nodded in agreement. She started to pull her hand away, but Simon didn't let go. She felt herself smile as they made their way back to the table hand-in-hand.

* * *

**Friday, August 6**

**6:49 PM**

**Phoenix, AZ**

Brittany leaned into the mirror and inspected her hair again.

"Margie!" she called to the hairstylist. "I think I need a little more hairspray right—"

"You look _fine_, Brittany," Eleanor said for the hundredth time. "You've used so much hairspray that you've caused a hole in the ozone layer right above us."

Brittany rolled her eyes. "Well _excuse_ me for trying to look good for the magazine people."

"Are they taking a photo?" Jeanette asked, genuinely curious. "I thought they were just going to interview us."

Brittany shrugged. "You can never be too prepared, Jeanette."

A writer from _Teen People_ was planning on doing a short "backstage pass" thing tonight and Brittany was beyond excited. She lived for this sort of thing, even if she didn't get her picture taken.

There was a knock on the door and the girls called, "Come in!" It was Dave. He stuck his head in the room and grinned.

"Brittany," he said, "the woman from _Teen People_ wants to have a word with you."

Brittany's heart practically exploded out of her chest, but she forced herself to play it cool. After all, she was Brittany Miller, a super star. She should be used to this sort of thing.

"Alright, I'm coming," she said breezily. After a quick peek in the mirror (Eleanor was right, she looked fine. Better than fine, really.), she followed Dave to the Chipmunk's dressing room.

Inside was Alvin sitting on the couch across from a pretty, apple-shaped woman Brittany didn't recognize. She was wore black pants, a navy blazer, and had curly dark hair. She grinned at Brittany when she entered the room.

"Brittany!" She stood and gave Brittany's hand a firm shake. "I'm Amy Bernstein. It's great to meet you!"

"Likewise," Brittany said with a calm smile. But on the inside she was freaking out. She wondered how many famous people Amy had interviewed.

Brittany sat on the couch beside Alvin, who looked ten times more relaxed than how she felt. He probably really _was_ relaxed, not faking it like she was.

"Well, I'll leave you three alone," Dave said with a wave. He left the room, and Brittany was a bit surprised that he didn't want to supervise to make sure Alvin didn't say anything stupid. Maybe Alvin convinced him that he'd behave; she made a mental note to ask him later.

Amy crossed her legs and smiled at them. "I wanted to interview the lead singers together," she explained. "Shall we get started?"

"Bring it on," Alvin said, leaning back in the couch cushions. If he wasn't so cute, Brittany would've thought he was being kind of obnoxious. But since they were sort-of-maybe dating, she just thought it added to his cocky charm.

Amy pressed a button on her tape recorder and began asking questions. The first few were pretty basic; she asked how long they'd been performing, how they liked singing with their brothers and sisters, and how much they had enjoyed the tour so far. It was pretty boring, but at least Brittany didn't stress herself out answering anything. It was pretty straight forward.

"So Brittany," Amy said after a while, "your dating life has been… well, a bit intriguing over the summer."

Brittany raised her eyebrows. "It has?"

"Yes," Amy said. "Nothing has been confirmed, but according to rumors, you dated your drummer Justin over the last few months."

"I did," Brittany said, figuring there was no point in lying. Readers probably would appreciate honesty, right? "I mean, we dated for a while, but things didn't work out."

"Oh," Amy sounded more curious than sympathetic. "Do you mind if I ask what happened?"

"Well, it turned out he was just using me," Brittany said, clear as a bell. She had no problem telling the truth about that.

"Really?" Amy said, and Brittany was glad that she didn't ask her to go into detail. "I know it was rumored that the 'Boots Were Made for Walking' you unexpectedly sang a few weeks ago in concert was aimed at him. Is that true?"

"It's true," Brittany confirmed with a small grin.

"Talk about girl power," the interviewer said with a smile that looked almost proud.

"I guess so."

"Did you hear that he hooked up with Destiny Walters last weekend?"

Brittany nodded. "I did. But we aren't together anymore, so it's really none of my business." Yes, she was trying to take the mature route, but in reality, she wanted to kiss whoever had ratted Justin and Destiny out to the paparazzi.

"Well let's talk about something that is your business," Amy's voice was a bit mischievous and Brittany knew where this was headed. "Are you interested in anyone at the moment?"

Brittany couldn't help but glance at Alvin. He wasn't looking at her though.

"Yes, I'm interested in someone."

Amy looked excited. "_Really?_ And he likes you back?"

Brittany looked at Alvin again, but he was staring straight ahead like he was deep in thought.

"Well, yeah, I assume he does."

"So who is this guy?" Amy leaned forward like a giggly, gossiping teenager.

Brittany hesitated. After a second of thinking, she decided that she would admit it was Alvin that she liked. After all, this interview was pretty honest so far, so why not be honest about this? Maybe admitting that she and Alvin were an item now would only help them; it would certainly please their fans…

"It's actually-"

Alvin started coughing violently, cutting Brittany off. Brittany was pretty sure she heard him sneak a "don't tell her about us" inside the cough.

"Oh, Alvin!" Amy's voice was full of concerned. "Are you alright? Should we get you some water?"

"No!" Alvin gradually stopped his fit. "I'm fine. Just a little cough."

Amy nodded, and turned back to Brittany. "So, you were just about to tell us about this boy you have feelings for."

"Uh, yeah," Brittany stammered, completely caught off guard. What the hell was that? Alvin didn't want her to tell Amy that she liked him? Why? Was he ashamed of her? Why was it such a big secret? WHAT THE HELL?

"I'm actually very close to this mystery guy who Brittany has a thing for," Alvin cut in. "He's sort of a private person though, and I don't think he wants everyone to know about them."

Brittany felt her jaw drop. What?

"Oh," was Amy's response. Her dark eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Is this true, Brittany?"

But Brittany couldn't speak. Her mouth had gone dry and her mind went blank. She was speechless, and this didn't happen often.

"It's true," Alvin confirmed confidently. "I think she feels bad that she was about to give the poor guy's identity away."

"I see," Amy said slowly, making it obvious that she didn't see. She continued. "So Alvin… is there a special girl in your life?"

Brittany faced him and glared. "Yeah, Alvin, _is_ there a special girl?"

Alvin chuckled as if he hadn't just humiliated her. "Well, there are plenty of special girls out there, especially my fans."

Brittany almost gagged. His cockiness was no longer charming.

"But I'm not involved with anyone romantically. I'm still single. So call me, ladies."

_What?_

"So the great Alvin Seville is a single man?" Amy asked in surprise.

"Single and looking," Alvin said with a wink.

Brittany stared at the ground. She felt her heart break into a million pieces and willed herself not to cry. Usually this sort of thing would make her angry, not sad.

Amy asked a few more questions, but Alvin answered almost all of them while Brittany sat in silent shock.

He didn't like her… at least not in that way. But what about all the stuff he said? And he certainly seemed to like her. They'd been getting along better than ever. They'd kissed a few times. No, he hadn't exactly said out loud that they were officially boyfriend and girlfriend, but Brittany had been sure that there was _something_ there.

"What about you Brittany?" Amy's voice snapped her back to reality.

Brittany blinked. "I'm sorry. What was that?"

"Is there anything else you'd like to tell your fans?" Amy repeated politely.

Brittany swallowed. "Yeah, there is," she said, sitting up straight. "They should try their best to be honest with each other. Like, for example, if you shouldn't lead people on in relationships because someone always ends up hurt." She knew she was blabbing, but she still couldn't think clearly.

Amy nodded like she was some sort of therapist. "This is all coming from what happened with you and Justin isn't it?"

"Uh, yeah," Brittany muttered. She thought about telling Amy that it was Alvin she was actually talking about, but she didn't want to admit to liking Alvin anymore. She was ashamed to like him after what he had just done.

"Thank you so both so much for the interview," Amy said sweetly, oblivious to Brittany's pain. She turned off her recorder. "I think we got some great stuff."

"Glad to hear it," Alvin said. Brittany wanted to slap that stupid smirk right off his stupid face.

After shaking Amy's hand and flashing a big fake smile, Brittany left the room as if it was on fire. She stomped down the long hallway; with each step, her sadness was being replaced with red-hot anger.

He knew how Brittany felt about him. There was no way he didn't know how she felt about him. And he had just led her on to believe that he liked her back; it was Justin all over again.

"Brittany! Wait up!"

Brittany whipped around to see Alvin hurrying up the hall to catch up. Her head throbbed with annoyance.

"Don't talk to me," she said through clenched teeth.

"Whoa, calm down!" Alvin pleaded, putting him palms up in defense.

Brittany scowled. "Calm down? You want me to calm down?"

"Just hear me out—"

"Screw you!" Brittany spat before turning around. She was _this_ close to using a word much nastier than "screw."

Alvin caught her arm. "I can't just go around saying that we're dating. What about my image? The girls need to think I'm available."

Brittany jerked her arm and hurried down the hall. Alvin's footsteps were right behind her.

"Oh come on, Brittany! You of all people should understand all that crap about image!"

Brittany came to an abrupt halt, causing Alvin to bump into her.

"You know what I think?" Brittany asked in a low, threatening voice. "I think this has nothing to do with your freaking image. You're just afraid to admit to anyone that you like me. You're just a scared little boy—"

Alvin snorted. "I'm anything_ but_ scared, babe."

Brittany put her hands on her hips. She could feel her face was hot with anger. "Okay, brave one. Then admit it. Admit you like me."

Alvin blinked a few times. "I… I don't… we're just—"

Brittany titled her head to the side and gave a mocking pout. "What's wrong, Alvin? Cat got your tongue?"

He narrowed his eyes. "We're just friends okay? I thought you knew that."

It felt like someone had kicked her in the stomach, but Brittany would be damned if she was going to let it show.

"That night in the RV," she said, trying (but failing) to keep her voice steady, "I asked why you stood up for me, and you said I already knew why…" She swallowed back a sob. "Well maybe I _don't_ know why."

Alvin sighed. "Brittany, I—"

"And that night in the tent," Brittany blurted. "You know, at the beach in Florida? You made it seem like… you acted like you—"

"Liked you?" Alvin filled in the blanks.

Brittany nodded, forcing herself to remain calm. "Yeah. It sure seemed like you did."

Alvin ran a hand through his hair before taking a deep breath. After a few seconds in silence, he said, "That's because I did like you. I mean, I _do_ like you."

Brittany couldn't help but allow herself tiny smile. "You do?"

Alvin shrugged and gave her a sideways grin. "Well, yeah."

But her smile faded fast. "So why did you just say we were only friends?"

She heard him swallow. He looked uncomfortable, which made _her_ feel uncomfortable. What the hell was his problem?

Alvin took a deep breath. "Well, just because we like each other, I'm not sure if we should, you know, date."

Brittany blinked a few times. Maybe she'd heard him wrong.

"Excuse me?"

"I don't know, Brittany," he said quietly. "I mean, chances are we'll probably tour together again someday. What if things don't… work out? Things will be weird."

Brittany wanted to be mad—she really did—but she couldn't help but laugh at that remark.

"Haven't we been over this before?" she asked playfully. "Things will _always_ be weird between us, whether we date or not."

It was Alvin's turn to laugh. "I guess you're right."

"I know I'm right," Brittany said with a wink. But she studied his face and knew he still wasn't sure. She let out an exasperated sigh. "Okay. Well, I'll be the mature one here and say that I'm all for us announcing a relationship to the public. So I vote yes. What do you vote?"

Alvin's eyes shifted toward the floor. "Undecided."

At that moment, Brittany wanted nothing more than to scream at him and throw a temper tantrum that would make a two-year-old look sophisticated. But she reminded herself that _she_ was the mature one, and instead took a long, calm breath and stood up straight.

"You have until tomorrow morning to give me an answer," Brittany hissed. "And you're lucky I'm giving you that long to decide."

And with that, Brittany spun on her heel and marched down the hallway.

* * *

Why so fickle, Alvin? Please review!


	21. Chapter 21: Alvin's Decision

A/N: This is another short chapter, but I've had it written for a while and I just wanted to get something published. Don't worry; thanks to this chapter, I have a better idea of what I'm going to write next, which might mean that you won't have to wait as long as usual for an update. Enjoy and review!

* * *

**Friday, August 6**

**11:18 PM**

Brittany figured he'd do it before they performed their first song.

He didn't.

Then she decided he was probably waiting after the second act.

He wasn't.

Well, there was always time around Act 5…

Nope.

Act 6? 7 or 8?

Of course not.

The finale… he was going to do it during the finale! The crowd would go crazy!

The last song ended with Alvin hitting the high note (perfectly, as always). After pumping his fist in the air, he smiled and looked out at the audience.

_This is it!_ Brittany thought. This is _when he tells everyone what he thinks of me. He's going to confess!_

Brittany was smiling so hard that her cheeks hurt. This was going to be so romantic.

"Woo!" Alvin yelled into his microphone. "Thanks for an awesome show everyone! ROCK ON!" Then he hurried off stage with the others.

Brittany froze. _Rock on?_ That's _it_?

She felt herself being nudged forward.

"Brittany," Eleanor whispered. "Let's go! The show's over!"

"It's a lot more than the show that's over," Brittany muttered as her sister practically dragged her off stage.

Eleanor frowned. "Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Nothing," Brittany huffed. As soon as they got backstage Brittany stomped toward her dressing room.

"What's wrong with Brittany?" Jeanette asked, as she and Eleanor watched her storm off.

"I'm not sure," Eleanor said slowly. She glanced to her left and her eyes fell on Alvin, who was laughing, giving fist bumps and high fives to members of the stage crew. "But I could take a guess."

Jeanette followed her sister's gaze. "You think Alvin upset her?"

Eleanor shrugged. "It wouldn't be the first time."

Alvin was all smiles and confidence on the outside, but he was panicked on the inside. Brittany had told him that he had to go public with this whole thing by tomorrow morning… that gave him, what, a few hours tops? What did she mean by "morning" anyway? Midnight or when they woke up? Because if it was midnight, he was screwed.

He thought about saying something during the concert; but he couldn't. He was almost sure that Brittany had been expecting some kind of announcement during the show, but what was he supposed to say? Besides, the girls in the crowd probably would have booed Brittany because of jealousy. He couldn't have that on his conscience.

Alvin excused himself and went to his dressing room. As soon as he got there, he shut the door and paced around the small space. He had to make a decision fast. And if he was going to go public with this… how was he supposed to do it?

The door opened and Simon walked in. Alvin threw himself onto his brother, almost causing both of them to fall over.

"Simon!" he cried. "You gotta help me!"

"Wonderful," Simon sighed. He removed his brother's hands and made his way toward his wardrobe.

"I have a problem," Alvin said, his voice full of desperation.

"You have a lot of problems," was Simon's immediate response.

Alvin's eyes narrowed. "Look, I don't have time for your snarky comments right now, okay? This is serious."

Simon rolled his eyes as he changed shirts. "What's the crisis, Alvin?"

"Brittany wants us to _officially_ become boyfriend and girlfriend," Alvin said.

Simon frowned. "Now Alvin, don't do anything stupid."

Alvin blinked. "Huh? What are you—whoa! What did you think I meant?"

The taller brother shrugged. "Define 'officially'."

Alvin stared at him until he finally got what Simon was implying.

"Simon!" he yelped. "I don't mean anything like… like that. I mean she wants us to tell people we're dating. She wants us to actually be a couple."

Now it was Simon's turn to stare. "So?"

"So!" Alvin threw his hands in the air. "So I don't know if I want to do that!"

"Alvin," Simon's voice was calm. "You like Brittany, right? Not just as a friend, but something more."

Alvin sighed. "Yeah," he admitted. "Yeah, I do."

"So what's the problem?"

"It's the fans," Alvin answered. "What if they turn against Brittany? After all, I'm very popular among—"

But Alvin was interrupted by his brother's sudden laughter. Side-clutching, eye-watering laughter.

"This isn't funny!" Alvin yelled.

"A-Alvin," Simon struggled to catch his breath. "Listen to yourself! You won't go out with Brittany because you think the fans are that obsessed with you that they'd… oh, that's hilarious!"

Simon removed his glasses and wiped his eyes as the laughs got louder. Alvin just stood there in shock. _Simon _was laughing at him. Simon hardly _ever_ laughed, and he especially didn't laugh like_ this_.

"You amaze me sometimes, Alvin," Simon said as his obnoxious chuckling began to fade. "You really do."

"So… you don't think it'll be a problem?"

Simon went into a laughter fit again. Alvin wondered if he brother was on something… he didn't see what was so funny.

"Alvin," Simon tried again after a few more minutes of laughter. "First of all, if you truly believe in that theory, you are clearly giving yourself too much credit. Secondly, I think the real reason why you won't date Brittany is because you're scared."

"Scared?" Alvin frowned. "Why would I be scared?"

"You've never felt this way about anyone before," Simon explained. "Not this strongly, anyway. You're worried that you won't know how to handle it. And Brittany probably feels the same…"

Simon trailed off and stared beyond Alvin as if he was contemplating something.

"Well, when you put it like that…" Alvin murmured. He sighed. "Maybe I am a little… I don't know. Not _scared._ Scared isn't the right word."

"Apprehensive?" Simon suggested.

Alvin shrugged. "Sure. At least it's not scared. I'm not _scared_ of anything."

"Right," Simon said, rolling his eyes. Now that he was fully dressed in his casual clothes, he headed toward the door. "When you're done changing, Dave wants us backstage to greet some fans with backstage passes. _Kelsey _is one of them." Simon shot a sympathetic smile at his brother before walking out the door. "Good luck with your situation, Alvin."

Alvin groaned. Kelsey Samson was the annoying president of one of their fan clubs. Kelsey ran one of their fan websites as well, apparently one of the most popular ones. Every time she talked to the Chipmunks, she practically begged them for the latest news to put on the site. No matter how lame or uninteresting the announcements were, Kelsey was always annoyingly grateful and would post her experience online within minutes of—

Alvin's jaw dropped. _That's it!_ Why hadn't he thought of it sooner?

Alvin ran out of the room and sped toward the meet-and-greet area backstage. He spotted his brothers with a small group of fans huddled around. He saw Kelsey immediately. She was hard to miss; the teen was tall and skinny, and wore her neon pink _I Heart The Munks_ T-shirt. Her bright red hair was in pigtails, the frames on her glasses were thick and neon orange, and there were dozens of Alvin and the Chipmunk buttons pinned to her shirt, jeans, and backpack (which was Alvin-themed as well).

"Hi there Kels," Alvin said brightly as he made his way toward the group.

Kelsey's freckled face beamed. "Hi Alvin!" she squealed.

Alvin put his arm around the girl and led her away from the crowd. He ignored the curious stares from his brothers, who knew he wasn't usually a big Kelsey fan. They'd met Kelsey a few times before, and each time Alvin let Simon or Theodore handle her. When Kelsey talked, Alvin usually ended up zoning out and grunting when she asked him something.

But not tonight. Tonight, Kelsey was getting the full story.

"Where are we going, Alvin?" Kelsey asked. Her smile revealed a mouth full of braces.

"Well I need to tell you something very important," Alvin said. They stopped a few feet away. "I want us to be somewhere quiet so you can hear every word."

Kelsey nodded like a bobble head. She looked so excited that Alvin thought she might attack him.

"Now listen closely, Kelsey," Alvin said with a grin. "Everything I tell you, I need you to post on your website right away, got it? This is big, breaking news. You'll be the first person to report it, so everything needs to be accurate, okay?"

Kelsey nodded even faster. "Yes, of course!" Her shaking hands reached into her backpack and pulled out a notepad and pen (AATC themed, of course). She got into writing position and looked at him eagerly, her big green eyes bulging behind those ridiculous neon glasses.

"Ready when you are!" she squeaked.

"Okay," Alvin sighed. "Here's the thing..."

He took a deep breath. This was it.

"I have a girlfriend."

* * *

Oh no! The word is out! Hehe... please review!


	22. Chapter 22: The Final Bow

** A/N: Well, here it is. The very last chapter of **_**We're Off to See America!**_** I decided to publish it today, on its 3****rd**** birthday. Yes, I published this story exactly three years ago today; which is pretty crazy! So ending it is kind of bittersweet for me. It's been part of my life for a while now, but I'm ready to move on and write other things. **

** So I wanted to give a huge THANK YOU to everyone who reviewed, favorited, followed, and read this story, whether it be the whole thing or just a chapter. I remember being so nervous the first time I posted it, so the fact that so many people have seemed to enjoy it makes me really happy. Thanks a bunch.**

** So without further ado… I present to you the final chapter of **_**We're Off to See America!**_** (God, I am such a drama queen).**

* * *

**Sunday, August 3**

**11:32 AM**

**Back of the RV**

For the first time in her life, Brittany did not feel like getting out of bed to show herself off to the world.

She was buried underneath blankets at the back of the RV fighting back tears. She had been awake for a while now, but she hadn't been able to get up and face the fact that Alvin still hadn't made a move. She had made him a deal, and it was well past the deadline. Brittany was too stubborn to make any exceptions. Alvin just didn't like her as much as she thought he did and that was that.

Well, she wished it was that simple anyway. But she wasn't ready to deal with it yet, at least not in public. She sighed and put her hands over her ears, trying to block out the sounds of talking and laughter from the others outside the closed door.

The first tear was getting ready to fall when the door burst open, revealing Brittany's annoyingly cheerful sisters.

"Rise and shine, Brittany!" she heard Eleanor chirp. "We can't let you just lay here any longer!"

Brittany groaned and pulled her blankets over her head in response. "No," was her muffled reply.

Eleanor yanked the blankets back down, and Brittany quickly covered her watery eyes. "Go away!" she said, annoyed that her voice had broken a bit.

"We have something we want you to read," Eleanor said, gesturing to the laptop Jeanette was holding.

Brittany rolled over to avoid eye contact. "Whatever it is, I'm sure it can wait."

"But Brittany," Jeanette said. "This is a blog for that really popular Chipmunk and Chipette website. You know, the one Kelsey runs?"

"Not interested," Brittany replied, shuddering at all those memories of Kelsey Samson begging for her autograph over and over again, despite the fact she had given it to her dozens of times through the years.

"But the article," Jeanette said. "It's about you."

Brittany's ears perked up about this, but she made herself remain lying down.

"Actually," she could hear the smugness in Eleanor's voice, "it's about you and_ Alvin_."

Well, that got her to sit up. Brittany practically ripped the laptop out of Jeanette's hands. "Give me that," she muttered. She quickly typed in the website address with shaking fingers.

The site didn't look any different than usual; just about a thousand pictures of her sisters and the Chipmunks covering every corner of her computer screen. But there it was, a new blog entry that had been published at about one o'clock that morning. It was titled, _The Biggest News EVER! _Brittany bit her lip as she clicked on it to read.

**The Biggest News EVER!**

**By Kelsey B. Samson**

**OH MY GOSH! OH MY GOSH! OH. MY. GOSH!**

**You guys! I have the BIGGEST Chipmunk story of the year! And it all comes straight from Alvin Seville himself!**

**Okay, so last night I was at the concert (which was, as always, AMAZING!), and after the show, Alvin comes up and says he has something to tell me. I'm always super excited to talk to Alvin; he's such a cool friend! But he seemed kind of serious so I knew something was up. And this is what he told me, word-for-word.**

"**I want you to let all of my fans know that I have feelings for someone."**

**!**

**So of course, I asked who. I wasn't trying to be nosy, but this is what a good reporter does.**

**AND GUESS WHAT HE SAID?!**

"**Brittany."**

**YES. **_**THAT**_** BRITTANY!**

**Of course, I got super excited when I heard this news, and Alvin had to very politely tell me to "calm down," but can you blame me? ALVIN SEVILLE HAS FEELINGS FOR BRITTANY MILLER!**

"**I've liked her for a while now," Alvin told me. "And I think it's time that everyone knows. I **_**want **_**everyone to know."**

**Despite the fact that I almost had an asthma attack (seriously, I had my inhaler in my hand, ready for use!), I was able to ask how he has had feelings for her.**

**Alvin took a moment to answer, but then he said, "I think I always have…"**

**AWWWW! I swear, I almost DIED from the sweetness!**

**Then I asked if they were officially dating and Alvin said, "I hope so," and I'm not really quite sure what he meant by that, but WHO CARES?! ALVIN AND BRITTANY ARE AN ITEM!**

**This is my biggest story EVER on the site, and I'm so glad I got to share it with you all! Just remember you heard it from here first, and-**

Brittany didn't even finish reading the rest. She realized her heart was pounding so hard she could practically hear it, and she had a churning feeling in her stomach.

_He did it,_ she thought. _He did it. He told everyone. _

The RV came to a slow stop, probably stopping somewhere for lunch. Brittany remained seated, staring at the laptop monitor.

"Are you coming, Brittany?" Eleanor asked. Brittany didn't even have to look at her to know she was smiling.

"Be there in a second," Brittany managed to say despite the lump in her throat.

Her sisters left, and Brittany barely heard them giggling on their way out. She was still trying to process what she had just read; then it hit her. This was it. She and Alvin were_ together_.

Without thinking about her bedhead and the fact that she was wearing her pajamas, Brittany stumbled out of bed and hurried out of the tiny room. There was no one on the RV, so Brittany rushed toward the door, when she tripped a few times running down the steps. When she was out of the vehicle, she saw Alvin a few yards away, making his way inside a fast food restaurant.

Heart in her throat, Brittany ran toward him, doing her best to ignore the fact that the hot pavement stung her bare feet with every step. When she was close, Alvin turned around. His eyes widened at her unusually unkempt appearance.

"Britt—"

He didn't finish saying her name. Brittany wrapped her arms around him and kissed him hard on the lips.

Alvin didn't waste time kissing her back, wrapping his arms around her as well.

Finally they slowly pulled away and Alvin grinned.

"Well," he said. "I guess you saw Kelsey's blog."

Brittany just smiled in response. Then she realized her feet felt like they were on fire.

"Ow!" she yelped. She put her arms around Alvin's neck and stepped on Alvin's sneakers he was wearing. This made her look down, when she took in her wrinkled pajama shorts and tangled hair. "Oh my God! I can't believe I'm out in public like this!"

"You look fine to me," Alvin said, kissing her again.

"Ew," Brittany replied, the reality of looking terrible setting in.

"Hey, I have to say that if I'm going to be your boyfriend," he told her.

It took Brittany everything she had not to let out a girly giggle.

"So is that you're way of asking me to be your girlfriend?" Brittany asked, touching her nose to Alvin's.

"That's my way of_ telling_ you you're my girlfriend," Alvin said. His eyes shifted toward her mop of unruly hair. He took the hat off his head and placed it on Brittany's. "You're gonna need this, babe."

Brittany narrowed her eye, but she was too happy to actually be mad at him. At her _boyfriend_.

"There is no way I'm setting foot in that restaurant," Brittany said, still holding on to Alvin. "My feet are dirty enough as it is. Who knows what is on the floor in there?"

"Good point," Alvin said. "Here, get on my back and I'll carry you to the RV."

Brittany stepped off his shoes and climbed on his back.

"And they say chivalry is dead," Brittany said as he started to walk.

"Huh?"

Brittany rolled her eyes. "Never mind."

It wasn't exactly a romantic way of being carried somewhere (A piggyback ride? Really?), and Brittany wanted to gag when she thought about what the soles of her feet looked like at the moment, but she couldn't remember the last time she had been so happy. She liked Alvin and he liked her. And for once they had been able to admit it.

"Not so tight," Alvin said, shaking his head to loosen. "You're choking me."

"Was not," Brittany protested. "You'd _know_ if I was choking you."

"I _knew_ just now," Alvin told her, sounding annoyed.

Okay, so this relationship would obviously be everything but perfect, but Brittany quickly decided that she could live with this _one_ imperfect thing in her life. She was pretty sure Alvin was worth it.

**Friday, August 8**

**Phoenix, AZ**

**RV roof**

Simon sighed as he stared up at the night sky. He was thankful for the night off, and it had been a while since he had laid down to look at the constellations. It was a perfect night for it; the sky was dark and clear, and the stars looked especially bright.

He wasn't sure where everyone else had gone. He assumed they went to out to eat or perhaps shopping, but Simon had opted to spend his break lying on top of the RV. He was glad Dave had parked in a quiet grassy area rather than in the hotel parking lot.

Every now and then his mind would wander. He thought about how the summer was almost over and this whole tour would end after tomorrow night. He thought about how Alvin and Brittany were officially dating, and the oddness of how everything was different between them yet exactly the same. But most of all, he thought of how he _still_ hadn't told her how he felt about her. He just hadn't been able to work up the courage. He was fairly sure she felt the same way about him, but he wasn't positive. And Simon liked to be 100% about things. There was no room for error in this.

"Simon?" said a small voice from below.

His heart sped up the way it always did when Jeanette was nearby. He looked over the edge of the RV to see Jeanette looking up at him. She was wearing a slightly wrinkled purple sweater and a knee length blue skirt. Her left shoe was untied, her dark hair in its usual messy bun.

"Hi," he said. "Care to join me?"

Jeanette bit her lip and studied the height of the vehicle. "I'm not sure me being off the ground that high with no railing is such a good idea," she said with a slight laugh in her voice.

Well… Simon wasn't about to argue with that.

After carefully climbing down, Simon got a blanket from inside the RV and laid it out on the damp grass.

Jeanette made her way over with a grin, but Simon saw it before she did; her right foot stepped right on that untied shoelace and Jeanette was falling forward in no time. Simon reached out and caught her just in time.

"Thanks," Jeanette said, a bit breathless. She looked up at him, her green eyes meeting his blue ones.

Simon didn't even have to think. He knew what was coming. He knew what he had to do.

But before he could close his eyes, Jeanette had moved forward and pressed her lips to his.

Simon will never admit it, but every romantic cliché he'd ever heard went through his mind when he kissed Jeanette for the first time. He saw fireworks, felt butterflies, the works. And then there was the greatest cliché of all: Never, ever wanting it to end.

After a few seconds, they gently pulled back, both wide-eyed and blushing like mad in the dark.

Simon cleared his throat and released Jeanette from his grasp.

"Um," was all he could say.

Jeanette gave him a nevous grin. "That was… nice."

"Yeah," Simon said, forcing himself not to stare at the ground. "It was."

A few beats of silence went by, both of them obviously deep in thought. Then they both started talking at the same time.

"Simon—"

"Look, Jeanette, I—"

They grinned shyly, and Simon tried again. "Jeanette, I like you. I like you a lot."

"Me too," Jeanette said, nodding her head. "I mean, I like you a lot. That's what I meant."

"I know," Simon said with a laugh. He felt surprisingly light, like he could turn into a balloon and float away.

_Did I really just think that?_ he wondered. Jeanette was making him think and feel the most bizarre things.

"So," Simon said. "Now what?"

Jeanette smiled and reached her hand out for Simon to hold. "Now we watch the stars."

"Good idea," Simon agreed. Then he laughed and added, "Maybe we should tie your shoe first."

Jeanette giggled as well. "That's a good idea too."

The pair lay down on the blanket and stared at the flawless sky, finding stars and constellations. Eventually Simon laid his hand over Jeanette's and let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding when Jeanette didn't move her hand away.

"I'm sorry it took me so long to… well, you know," Simon said.

"It's okay," Jeanette told him. She turned her head toward him and grinned. "Better late than never."

Simon moved his hand from under Jeanette's and held it.

"Indeed," he agreed, right before they started talking about the Milky Way.

**Monday, August 11**

** 3:11 PM**

** The Sevilles' Driveway**

Beatrice Miller stood at the end of the Sevilles' driveway, practically bouncing in her high heeled shoes. She had missed her girls and Dave and the boys so much the last few months.

Dave had called her a while ago saying they would be home soon. Beatrice was beyond excited to have everyone home. Sure, it had been a fun summer of salsa classes, surf lessons, and late night poker games, but it just wasn't the same without her girls.

When the elderly woman saw the large RV coming down the street, she waved frantically.

"They're home!" she cried. "They're home!"

Dave honked the horn a few times. At first Beatrice thought it was a greeting, but after watching Dave's gestures he was making with his arms, she realized he was trying to get her to move out of the way. She obliged, but rushed toward the door as soon as the RV had come to a complete stop.

"Well it's about time!" she said to Dave as soon as he opened the door. "David, my great grandmother Daisy can drive faster than you and she's dead!"

Dave sighed, but couldn't hide his smile. "Nice to see you too, Miss Miller."

Beatrice gave Dave a big hug but released him as soon as she saw Eleanor and Theodore get off the RV hand-in-hand.

"Hello dears!" she cooed, wrapping them in her arms.

"Hi Miss Miller!" they said together, returning her hug just as tightly.

Then Beatrice saw something unexpected. Jeanette and Simon got off the RV next, and they were holding hands.

"Well," she gasped. "What is this?"

Jeanette and Simon exchanged shy smiles. "Um," Jeanette said, "Well, you, see… Simon and I are dating now."

"Well I'll be!" Beatrice moved toward them and engulfed the new couple in her arms as well, oblivious to the fact that she was painfully pushing their glasses into their faces. "Congratulations you two little love birds!"

Beatrice didn't have the ears she used to, but she could clearly hear Alvin's voice coming from the RV.

"Are you serious?" he was saying. "We really have to do this?"

"Yes, we do!" Beatrice recognized the take-charge voice of her little spitfire Brittany. "Everyone else came out holding hands!"

"You make it sound like we're getting married or something."

"Just do it!"

"Fine!"

And there they were, the last pair, also hand in hand. Although Brittany appeared to be dragging Alvin more than them walking beside each other.

"Oh!" Beatrice exclaimed. "Don't tell me you two are going steady too!"

"Going steady?" Alvin echoed. "What is this, the 1950's?"

"Alvin," Simon and Dave both warned.

Alvin sighed and put on a fake smile. "Yeah, we're…" he cringed. "Going steady."

"Oh how exciting!" Beatrice squealed, giving Alvin and Brittany a big hug as well.

After some more hugs and kisses, Dave announced, "Well kids, we have a lot to unpack. We ought to get started."

Beatrice took a step back and watched four teens go into the RV. Alvin and Brittany, however, lingered behind. She saw Alvin give Brittany's hand a squeeze and give her a peck on the cheek before following the others inside, probably not aware that Beatrice had been watching.

The old woman pulled a handkerchief from her pants pocket and dabbed her eyes. The boys and girls were certainly growing up; it appeared that this summer had brought along many changes, and for the better. Beatrice couldn't wait to hear all about them…

Or at least eavesdrop and find out all the juicy details. She knew there had to be some good ones with this group. Some good ones indeed.

*~The End~*

* * *

**A/N: Well… that's that! Sorry the ending was a little rushed, but I really wanted to get this up. Hopefully it wasn't too disappointing. Anyway… three years and 22 chapters later, it's time to say good-bye to this story. Do me a favor and leave me one last review. Thanks again!**


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